Sliders
by srgeman
Summary: We are the ordinary turned extraordinary. This is a mantle thrust upon us, we did not ask for it, but we except it. In us lay the worlds salvation, as we fight enemies who will do anything to kill us. We are the sliders, and this is our first story.
1. I

I : The Beginning I : The Beginning

_150 years from now, a war rages all over the world. The Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn regions, and many like them, have been virtually wiped out in a war that consumes every one._

_Every one is divided in their support, some for the humans, who fight to keep control, and to keep things "the way they are". Some, for the pokehybrids, who believe humans and pokemon are equals and should be treated as such. Both sides claim to love peace, but the body count of both sides speaks volumes more._

_The pokehybrid General, Grovyl, calls the humans slave owners. The human General Julius, calls them freaks. The legendary pokemon have left the earth, due to the actions of both sides, and watch them, much like the gods watched in the Iliad._

_The war is so consuming, that normal life has ceased to happen. The war began 15 years earlier, or 135 years in the future, and all advancements in science or medicine virtually stopped. Both sides fight with human/pokehybrid soldiers, and pokemon soldiers, but if some one is injured, they are killed, as their is no medical treatment available to any one. _

_However, not every one took sides. Some became outcasts, people who would live in the ruins of destroyed city's, until supplies ran out and they had to move on. Some became mercenary's, working both sides. Finally, their is a third group, one who attempts non-violent solutions, who attempt peace, but their numbers are so small, they haven't achieved much. They are called the Sliders, and this is their story._


	2. II

II : The Trio

Now, most stories begin with protagonist's, who people would never guess could do something extraordinary. These three went beyond being unbelievable, borderlining on being stupid.

They were walking on the remains of Route 102 in Hoenn, a man, a woman, and Ninetails.

The landscape was barren and dessert esq., due to the fierce battles fought here. But the three didn't notice. As they walked, they sang!

"Make 'em laugh, make 'em laugh" The man, one Brian McKay, sang.

"Don't you know every one wants to laugh" The woman, one Rose Quinton sang.

"Ninetales tales, tales nine" The Ninetails sang. As the three had discovered along time ago, singing can keep you sane, as it gives your mind something to focus on other then the destruction.

"Now you can study Shakespeare, and be part of the elite" Brian sang. He stood five foot nine, his hair looking like it had never seen water, his face coated in dirt. He wore a torn T-shirt, and jeans that had been torn into shorts, and he carried an empty back pack.

"And you can charm the critic's and have nothing to eat" Rose sang. She stood six foot one, with skin so tanned it looked like she lived in a tanning booth. She looked like a dessert Diana Rigg, wore what had once been a sundress, now a dirt rag, and also carried an empty backpack.

"Ninetales nine nine ninetales" Ninetails sang in semi-chorus. Ninetails was not owned by Rose or Brian, but went along with them by free choice. Her fur was so matted with sand, if she shook in an empty room, all of the walls would have been coated.

"Hey guys, we're here" Brian said, breaking chorus. The three looked, to see not a vast city, or even a small town, but rather, ruins.

The war had all but destroyed all plant life, and had ravaged the land, causing it to turn into little more then dessert.

"Ninetales" Ninetails commented. All of the building looked like giant tomb stones, in some poorly produced western.

The three walked down the center street, noting theirs were the only foot prints. Several sandstorms had washed all the buildings golden brown. The destruction of the city was very apparent, with buildings and houses having gapping holes in them, curving until it looked like they were going to fall over, or being hollowed out shells.

"I don't get it" Rose muttered. "In other wars, once a battle as been fought for a city, the army turns it into a base, or at least doesn't let it die"

"Theirs so much destruction, what can they get out of this place? They suck the very life out of it, and they move on"

"Tails"

The three eventually came upon the remains of what was possibly once a Pokemon center. Their was a bench in the front, so Brian and Rose sat down, with Ninetails jumping up beside them.

"Okay, Rose, do we have any food?" Rose pulled off the back pack, and shook out dirt, and nothing else. Brian nodded.

"Okay, and the only water we have is saliva. Ninetails" He said, turning to her, "Did you see anything that could be used as shelter?"

"Ninetales" She said, shaking her head. Brian leaned back, and nodded.

"Okay, so we have no food, no water, and no shelter" In the distance, the wind could be heard picking up, "And a sandstorm is coming. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were in bad shape" Rose and Ninetails nodded.

"The usual routine" Brian nodded.

"I'll look for water, Rose, you look for food, and Ninetails, we all need some place to hide from the storm" Brian shielded his eyes, looking at the sun. "We can still see the sun, so I would guess we've got an hour before the sandstorm is dire. Lets meet back here in an 45 minutes, to see what we've found" The three nodded, and headed off in various directions.

* * *

Brian headed north down main street, exploring the remains of an office building, belonging to, according to the faded sign on the front, some group called "The Wexler Group".

"What most people don't relies" He murmured to him self, "Is that office buildings are great places to find water. The pipes may be gone, but vending machine's held water" Brian found a cracked vending machine in the lobby, with a picture of a Mudkip on it. "And water doesn't expire, or go stagnate when theirs no air"

Brian felt along the backside of the machine, and got his fingers wedged in, before flipping it over, as gently as you can a one ton machine.

The machine smashed, but no water seeped out. "Now, the hard part" Brian looked around the dusty lobby, finding a long piece of wood, and a rock. Placing the rock down, he maneuvered part of the wood under the machine through the sand on the floor, before using it as a wedge, to lift the corner three inches off the ground.

Keeping his back foot on the piece of wood, Brian bent over, and put both his hands under the machine, and began hefting.

"Ugh, I'm the smallest and weakest of our group! I don't breathe fire, and I've never run a triathlon, so why am I _huff_ lifting the heavy machine?"

Once he had his palms under the machine, hefting it became, not easy, but less difficult. With a groan, Brian pulled the machine until he could get under it, and then pushed it all the way up.

The front of it had shattered, and Brian's bounty was "Four water bottles"

As he removed them, Brian looked around the lobby. The remains of several wooden chairs and tables could be seen, covered in six inches of sand.

Shaking his head, Brian headed back to the Pokecenter.

* * *

"I am sixteen, going on seventeen" Rose sang to her self, as she marched west through the city. After exploring two small markets, Rose had discovered all the shelves of non-perishables completely picked clean.

Swarming locusts left more. But, now was not the time to gripe, but to find food.

"Fellows I meet may tell me I'm sweet, And willingly, Hello" Rose had stumbled upon a sand swept movie theater. All of the glass was shattered, and a few faded movie posters still hung in their slots.

"Maybe their will be something here" Rose walked over the broken glass of the doors, and into the theater lobby.

"Oh, my GOD" Rose screamed.

In the center of the lobby, were approximately thirty human skeletons, and fifty varying pokemon skeletons. The humans were all in crouching positions, each with a perfect round hole in the back of the skull. The pokemon skeletons were more shattered, looking like someone took a machine gun to each of them. Their skin had been completely eatin away, by God knows what.

Rose walked two steps closer, but her foot brushed against something. Looking down, she could see the skeleton of a small child, it laying on its back, with a bullet in the forehead.

Feeling dizzy, Rose tripped backing out of the theater, landing on the sand covered ground with a thud. Vomit bubbled up, to the top of her throat, but she kept it in, until she stood up. Then, she puked.

**

* * *

**

Note, since Ninetails is alone, her dialogue will be written in English.

"Finally, no more show tunes" Ninetails said, heading east behind the pokecenter. She knew that the others meant well, but their was only so many times one pokemon could take hearing Gee Officer Krupke!

"Its not fair, they step on one of my tails, then I can curse them. But after 1000 renditions of "The Worst Pies in London", all I can do is growl, and set them on fire"

Down the road behind the pokecenter, lead to a small group of houses. Several of them had so much damage, being from the sandstorms, or the bullets, they were little more then shells. But, like an oasis in the desert, one house had no broken windows, and no holes in the roof or walls. It even had a door.

"Okay, this might do" Ninetails walked to the door, and the knob turned and it opened. This was a handy little ability she had learned after two hundred years.

"I wonder if Brian and Rose know I can do that" She murmured, as she walked inside. The house was completely empty, no furniture, no carpeting, nothing.

"I wonder if they know I can understand English?" Ninetails sat on the porch, and stared out at the barren wasteland. "I really wonder if I will ever see grass again"

Suddenly, she heard foot steps in the distance. Jumping off the porch, and in front of the house, Ninetails was greeted by the sight of three men, one short and portly, and the other two tall and stupid. They were all dressed in complete leather, in an attempt to look bad ass, that just came off as stupid.

"The fat one's the leader I bet. It always works that way" The fat man then noticed Ninetails, and he shouted at the other two men. They began running towards her.

"Please tell me they are not that stupid" As they approached, the tall men pulled out guns, and the fat man uncurled a net. "Evidently, they are"

"Be careful boys" The fat man said, "She's a slider, so she is dangerous"

_Slider, what in the world? Eh, wonder later, flame-thrower now_. As they got within a foot of her, Ninetails opened her mouth, and released a torrent of fire, straight at the fat man.

"Oh shit" The fat man dropped, and the blast hit the tall man on the right, setting him on fire.

_For a fat man, he's remarkably fast. _The tall man on the right was rolling on the ground, so the one on the left aimed his gun at Ninetails.

"No, we need her alive" The fat man climbed up, and pulled out a piece of pipe, from his jacket. He hit her on the head.

_Oh, are you ever going to regret that_. Ninetails sent out a last of fire at the fat man. The man held up the net, and it absorbed the fire,

"What the fuck?" Ninetails cried. The fat man threw the net on her. It was as if an electric charge went through her. Ninetails passed out cold.


	3. III

III : The Bandits

Desperate times call for desperate measures, that was the motto of Kip Kinnagen. Kip was, what would be described as, a bandit. He lead a pack of two others, two lunkheads named Steve and Dave. He wasn't sure which was which, and, to be honest, they didn't even know.

For the last four years, the three had traveled the ruins, looking for what they needed to survive, and killing those who had it.

Kip admitted he was no saint, and that he probably was a monster.

"If they think that, fuck them" was always his response. Dave and Steve always nodded happily.

They lived happily, until they got caught in some very nasty business. Kip had gotten drunk, near one of the Human Army bases. When he saw a woman outside of the base, he attacked her.

"I was just trying to have some fun" But it didn't matter, she had died.

The army has a different legal system when at war. You are tried the day after you are captured, you don't face your accusers, and, in Kip's case, you are executed at the end of the week.

Kip remembered every detail vividly. The "jail" was in the basement of a cement building on the base, the top of which was used for storing weapons. All the wall's were yellow or brown from urine, or God knows what. They gave him water, but not food, because he "wouldn't need it where he was going".

Now, most people don't relies just how hard it is to escape from an underground prison. There is only one way in, one way out, a flight of stairs. A guard is posted at the top, and the bottom. The sheer impossibility made his great escape more amazing.

"Tomorrow's the day I die, I die" Kip sung, just to annoy the guards. He sat on his cot, staring at the cement ceiling, which had blood stains running every which way. He was about to drift off to sleep.

BANG . A gunshot got Kip off the cot, and pressed against the iron bars. He strained his eyes, just in time to see the second guard back away from the entrance of the stairs.

BANG. The guard went down. Three people stepped over his body.

Kip recognized two of them as Steve and Dave, who smiled stupidly. But the third man, the one holding the gun, brought a look of shock to Kip's face.

"You, what do you want with me?!" he cried. The man smiled.

"Lets face it Mr. Kinnagen, you're a boil on the worlds ass. A pain, but little to nothing more" The man handed him an envelope. "Theirs enough money in there to keep you happy for the rest of your life, in some of the cities that haven't been destroyed. It will be yours, if you agree to take on a task for me"

"And if I refuse" Kip asked curtly. The man frowned.

"Then I guaranty, you will never leave this room"

* * *

"How do you know it not a wild Ninetales?" Dave asked. Kip looked up crossly.

"Look, stupid fuck, we haven't seen a completely wild pokemon in five years" Kip said exasperated. "Pokemon can't survive in the wild if theirs no food or water" Dave shrugged.

"Besides" Steve said, "The boss guy said this new would deactivate any powers by pokemon, and would unchange all sliders. All it did was put her to sleep" The Ninetales seemed to be absolutely peaceful.

The three were camped out at the remnants of someone's house. Their was a mail box, but the name had faded away.

"Look, if she isn't a slider, they're coming" Kip pointed out, "all we have to do is wait"

* * *

Brian and Rose had been concerned when Ninetails didn't show up, and now they marched through the remnants of a small neighborhood, east of the pokemon center. After calling out for nearly an hour, they could barely speak.

"She's got to be somewhere" Rose rasped.

"But, I don't get it, Ninetails would die before she got captured" Brian said, "and she would take her captors with her"

"Yeah, and she can sense when someone is approaching, so I don't see how anything could have happened" Brian muttered.

Sand was whipping every which way. It hadn't become a full fledged sandstorm, but it was on its way. The two could barely see a foot in front of them.

"Hey wait" Rose said, grabbing Brian's shirt, "listen"

"All I can hear is sand" Rose took off running.

"Rose, awe crap" Brian ran after. The two followed the sound of talking, which grew louder, until they came upon a house at the end of the neighborhood.

They came upon a dilapidated house, with three men in black leather, standing in front of a very unconscious Ninetails.

"Ninetails!" Rose screamed.

"What do you know" Kip said smirking, "I told you they would show up"

"What the" Brian rushed out, to find the three smiling men. "Who are you? And what's with the costumes? Were you trying to go for badass, or dumbass"

"I'm Santa fucking Clause" Kip said, "Who the fuck are you?" Brian spotted Ninetails.

"Let her go" Brian yelled.

"If you want her, do your little trick" Kip responded.

"Um, what the hell are you talking about?" _Are these guys retarded?_ Brian

wondered. Kip then looked, to see Rose attempting to open the nets.

"You dumbfucks, why didn't you grab her?"

"You want us to?" Dave asked.

"Yes you stupid son of a bitch, GRAB HER" Dave shrugged, and lifted Rose off the ground, under her armpits.

Rose was already tall, and Dave stood a good eight inches over her. She slammed her fist into his side. Dave didn't move an inch.

"You know, if she were a slider, she could have escaped" Kip said.

"Probably" Steve agreed.

"What are you doing you morons?" Brian asked.

"Your not a slider either" Kip pulled out a gun, and aimed it between Brian's eyes, "So your fuck out of luck"

Kip got Brian to kneel in front of him. He prepared to fire.

"Let them go" a voice rang out.


	4. IV

IV : The Sliders

Their were seven of them, that was the first thing Brian noticed. All dressed in long black jackets, that were now vaguely brown due to sand, black sweat pants, black boots, and white shirts. Brian was able to identify the leader of the group, as he stood ahead of them, wearing sunglasses.

The leader was at least six and a half feet tall. He had fire red hair, which was flung every which way. On his face were three long diagonal scars, all turned to the right, like some one had tried to run a lawn mower over this guy.

The seven people in black walked over to Kip, who still had his gun pressed between Brian's eyes.

"Let him go" The leader said. Kip turned to the others, and laughed.

"Why should I? What can you do to me" He asked. He pulled out a pokeball. "Gravler go"

"Okay, but I warned you" The leader looked at Brian, "This will just take me a second" The red haired man threw his coat to the ground, and then stood, as if made of wood. He closed his eyes behind the glassess, as if in a deep trance.

"Gravler, rollout" The Gravler began rolling.

"Watch out" Rose screamed, before being smacked by her captor, either Steve or Dave. The Gravler had closed the space between him and the scared man to five feet, moving 120 miles an hour. Suddenly, the scarred man opened his eyes.

If you blinked, you would have missed it. The man flashed white, until only his outline could be seen. He looked like a pokemon, when its evolving. Like one, his outline grew taller, as a tail could been seen growing out, along with wings. The light cleared, and a Dragonite was standing where the scarred man had been.

Rose, convinced she was hallucinating, didn't think of this is strange. _They always look peaceful_ she thought. Indeed, the Dragonite looked very peaceful, as it held out its clawed hand. The Gravler ran into it, still spinning, but not moving forward, spinning a small hole in the ground. Finally, the Gravler stopped rolling. It unfolded its arm, and looked up.

"Gravler?" it said uncertainly. The Dragonite bent over, and whispered something in its ears. The Gravler nodded, and the Dragonite picked it up with one hand, and tossed it like a baseball.

The three bandits were dumb struck, no one speaking.

Brian also addressed the situation like Rose. _Its finally happened_ Brian thought, _I've finally gone insane. Oh well, it was only a matter of time._

"FUCK" Kip screamed. He pivoted to face the Dragonite, his arms at full length. "My boss gave me that, how the fuck am I supposed to tell him?" Kip fired the gun three times.

"Twister" The Dragonite said in perfect English. Suddenly, his wings began flapping rapidly, and in fact, a small twister appeared in front of him.

The bullets entered, but didn't come out the other side. As the twister dissipated, the three bullets fell to the ground harmlessly. Kip through the gun at the Dragonite. It hit him in the face, but he didn't waver.

"Oh Shit" Kip exclaimed, "Let the girl and the Ninetales go" The other two nodded. Kip then turned to Brian. "You go too, get the fuck away from me"

Brian took off running, while Rose waited for them to release Ninetails. They ripped open the net, and Ninetails eyes shot open.

"Um, hi?" Steve said. Ninetails opened her mouth, and a fireball consumed the man. She and Rose then followed Brian.

The other two looked at their fallen comrade, and then decided to run. They got six, maybe seven feet, before the Dragonite swooped down in front of them.

"Where do you morons think your going?"

"Um, away" Dave said. Dragonite nodded. He grabbed them by their jackets, noticing an envelope sticking out of Kip's pocket.

"Hey, that's mine!" Kip whined. Dragonite shrugged, took the envelope, and slung them into the air, the same direction as the Gravler.

"Fuck you" Kip screamed, as they faded from eye sight. Dragonite walked over to the extinguished man. He bent down, and checked his pulse.

"You'll be fine" he said, before picking him up and tossing him.

Brian, Rose, and Ninetails crouched together, as the Dragonite landed. He turned white, as he returned to human form.

"Hello" He said, smiling, "I'm Axle"

* * *

The three morons landed almost a mile away, in a sand dune. Now, for Gravler, this landing was fine. For the other three…

"Fuck" Kip screamed, "That son of a bitch hurt" Dave nodded. Steve checked his burns. Kip took out his cell phone, and pressed 1.

"Yes" The boss said on the other side.

"Well, we ran into those sliders you mentioned" Kip said, "And they kicked our asses. I thought they were supposed to be weak"

"Oh, don't worry Kip, you've done your job. I've been tracking you through a remote tracker in the phone, and one of my associates should be showing up any second now, to help you"

Exactly as the boss had said, a man appeared on the horizon. He didn't match the dessert scene, as he was wearing long, fancy pants, and a sweater over a long sleeved shirt.

"Hello, Mr. Kinnagen" The man said, as he walked towards him. Kip waved hello, as he put Gravler back in his ball.

"So" Dave said, "Are you here to take us to the boss?"

"Yes, the boss say's he's very happy, and he wish's to reward you" The man leaned into Kip's ear, and began to whisper.

Suddenly, a torrent of blood escaped from Kip's neck, as he fell down, dead. Dave looked at the man, who held a long, sharp, hunting knife in his head. Dave couldn't move, as the man leapt on him, and cut his throat from ear to ear.

Steve didn't have this problem. He stood up, and took off running. The man stared down at his knife.

"Oh darn, I was hopping to have some fun. Oh well" He put the knife back in the holster he had on his thigh, and pulled out a small gun from a shoulder holster.

Steve had made it to the top of the dune, when a gun shot rang out. At first, Steve thought it had missed him, until he noticed he now had a small hole in his chest, as blood poured out. He tried to run, tripped, and rolled to the bottom of the dune.

The man walked over to Kip's body, and picked up the cell phone. He hit re-dial.

"Is the problem taken care of?"

"Yes, Mr. Kinnagen and his friends are dealt with. They didn't capture one of those, slider things"

"I didn't expect them to. I just expected them to stall them long enough to get stuck in the sand storm. My men will take care of the rest. Could you bring that Gravler back, its valuable property"

"Alright, but I'm leaving after that"

"If I require you for another job?"

"You know where to find me"

-click-


	5. V

V : The Watchers

Now, when all the legendaries left the world, they didn't go into outer space. Rather, they created another dimension for themselves, from which they could watch the destruction, or the salvation of Earth.

Their were 21 of them on the earth before the war began, all that remained of the legendaries, each one agreeing to not help either side to victory. But, after the war had destroyed virtually all vegetation on the planet, 19 of them had felt that the humans were ungrateful for destroying most of the world, the pokehybrids were all hypocrites, and the pokemon who served them acted as slaves.

Some had taken the side of the humans, while others felt for the hybrids. One took no side at all, and one took a third side. But now, most day's, 20 of the 21 legendary sat at something like a table, but it had no chairs behind it. In front of them was a portal, from which they could see every aspect of the world.

Now, it was on a day like this, when 19 of the 20 were watching the world, and one was missing. Suddenly, behind the 19, another portal to earth opened, and Mew floated through.

"Hello" Mew laughed happily.

"Hello" the group grumbled.

"Mew," Celebi began, "do you take what we do seriously?"

"Of course I do" Mew said, "we do nothing, and I take that very seriously" This received a groan from the group.

"And Mew Two still refuses to come" Kyogre asked.

"If I die, he says then he'll come" Mew said.

"Okay, now, I have a question?" Lugia asked., "Why is it that you insist on living in or world and theirs?"

"Why" Mew asked, "I'm in no danger. I still think we could have lived there"

"The destruction of all plant life, and the mass production of masterballs guarantied we couldn't live there" Lugia replied. "Suppose some one catches you in one of those things"

"Then, it'll be like a new adventure"

"But, suppose they make you fight in one of the armies" Ho-Oh said.

"Then I'll leave" Mew responded. "Besides, I don't see the point. Every day, we

all come here and watch the war on earth, and then we leave until the next day. We could end it"

"You know its not for us to end" Lugia said. Mew shrugged.

"I don't understand why you lead us, when you can be an idiot at times Lugia"

"And I don't understand why the most powerful of all of us has the mind of a six year old" Mew sighed.

"Quick survey, who here was an egg at the time this war you care so much about, broke out?" A bout half the legendaries raised their hands.

"Okay, and who was still human, and not selected to replace the previous legendary at the beginning of the war?" A little less then the other half raised their hands.

"And, who has been asleep for 120 years, convinced this will make 1000 years pass faster?" Lugia raised Jirachi's hand.

"And who here is a brainless golem?" The three Regi's sat there. Mew nodded.

"Okay, final survey. Who here was around when the universe began, was partners with Arceus, is one of only 4 immortal living beings, and created all species of pokemon, including your precursors?" All hands dropped, but Mew's. "No, no, keep 'em up while I count"

"Look," Lugia began, "I'm sorry I said you had the brain of a six year old, but you never treat what we do seriously, and you never show up at our meetings"

"Why do we even have meetings? Their stupid"

"You think every thing that isn't fun is stupid"

"It is"

"What gives you the right to say what we do is stupid?"

"Do I need to do another survey?" All of them got quiet. "Well then, I wasn't going to show up today, I wanted to show all of you something" Mew turned to the orb, and the image shifted, turning to the group of sliders, Brian, Rose, and Ninetails.

"They are going to do something extraordinary"


	6. VI

VI : The House

"Hello" He said, smiling, "I'm Axle" Ninetails stood in front of Brian and Rose, guarding them. The suspicion radiating off the three was palpable.

"Ninetales nine" (Who are you, and what do you want?). Brian and Rose opened their mouths to speak.

"Oh, we don't want anything, just to help" Every thing the two were going to say was thrown out the window.

"Holy fuck, you can understand her?" Rose cried, as one of the other members of the group walked over, a slightly dumpy woman, with short hair, dyed purple.

"Of course we can" The woman said, "Can you?" All three of them sat, dumbstruck.

"Natasha,"

"Axle, the sandstorm is getting really bad" The three had hardly noticed the storm, due to all that happened in the last 3 min. "Do you think we could continue this in shelter?"

"Oh, that's right, you guy's do have shelter, right"

"Um"

"Ninetales" (I found a place).

"Then please, lead us to it"

A few minutes later, they were inside of the house Ninetails had discovered earlier. Axle checked the lights in the house, nothing, while the rest sat on the floor.

"Okay, no lights, no power, but it is safe" Axle rejoined the group. "Now where were we? Oh right" Axle held out a hand to Rose, "My name is Axle"

"Um hi" She said, shaking slowly. "My name is Rose" Brian and Ninetails both scowled.

"Okay" Axle said, "Since I can see you guys don't trust us, my friends will go around and say who they are"

"Hello" The purple haired woman, sitting to Axle's right, from before said, "I'm Natasha" Brian and Rose shook her hand.

"And I'm Cameron" The man next to her said. He was a very short kid, maybe 16, with brown hair done up tall, and an earring in both ears, lightning bolts. He seemed to be shaking. They shook his hand.

"I'm Dimitrius" The man beside him said. Tall, muscular, and menacing, with a head shaved bald. This guy could have entered an Avery Brooks look-a-like contest against the real thing, and won. They shook his hand slowly.

"My name is Stephanie" The other woman, sitting beside him said. This woman was built like a twig. She sat at least six foot nine, with blonde hair cut ultra short. As Rose shook her hand, she noticed an old scar on her wrist.

"And I might be Jonah" Said the man sitting next to her. Brian was built with an asshole meter, and this guy was spiking off the charts. He had hair dyed ugly orange-yello, with a sort of pink on the sides, and was wearing an old neck tie, neon green. Brian could tell this guy had had his nose broken more then once.

"I suppose that leaves me" The last man on the end said. "Hello, I'm Horatio" Averedge sized, but solidly built, he was the most normal looking of the group, with short, buzzed brown hair. Rose and Brian both noticed he wore a set of green rings, one on each finger.

"Okay" Axle said, "Now that we've introduced our selves, lets hear who you are" The three nodded slowly.

"Well, I'm Brian"

"And, like I said earilier, I'm Rose"

"Ninetails"

"Okay, we've said who we are now" Rose said, "And I have one question. How can…"

The glass on one of the windows, directly across from where the group was sitting, shattered. Sand began spraying over them and they all began to cough out sand.

"Au shit, Natasha, would you mind"

"No problem" Natasha stood up, and faced the window. Much like Axle, she began glowing, but her body didn't take the shape of a Dragonite, rather, it became thinner, about the same height, with her head developing five distinct points. When the glowing faded, Natasha had become an Alakazam.

"Fuckin A" The glass began to levitate, and then sprung back into the window seal, fitting together like puzzle pieces. When all the pieces were together, the cracks vanished, and the mirror was fixed. Natasha began to glow again, shifting back, before sitting back down.

"THAT!" Rose and Brian yelled, "How can you do that?"

"Tales nine nine" (Are you hybrids, or something different? Can all of you do this?)

"Whose question should we answer first?" Dimitrius asked.

"Lets start with those two" Axle responded. "We can do it, because we are sliders"

"Sliders?" Rose asked, "What are sliders?"

"Ninetales" (I've heard that before, somewhere)

"I know" Rose and Ninetails turned to Brian. "When the war began, their were rumors of people who could change from human into pokemon. They said they couldn't decide which side of the war to follow, and slid between the two. I suppose you decided to keep the nickname?"

"It was fitting" Natsha said. "Now, what do you want to know next?"

"How did you become sliders?"

"May I answer" Cameron asked. Axle shrugged. "To become a slider, you have to die first. Every one in our group, has been dead.

"Then you must have a pokemon give its life for you. What I mean is, when you die, your pokemon may decide to give its life for you, and the sacrifice creates new life. Your old one has gone, and this is your second one. You gain the ability to shift back and forth between the two forms. Theirs one other way, but I forgot"

"A pokemon has to murder you" Stephanie muttered.

"Oh that's right"

"I don't understand, murder you?"

"A pokemon has to knowingly bring about your death. Few a smart enough to relies what they are doing"

"Ninetales!" (I resent that)

"Why would that make you a slider?"

"Pokemon are supposed to be pure, and murder is the most unspeakable act. It has wasted a life, so its life must be given" The three sat there, soaking this in.

"Can you use any attacks in human form?"

"Basic ones. And even then, only at most, 1/2 the power"

"Ninetales nine" (But you can understand pokemon in human form)

"We all can" Horatio said.

"Tales ninetales" (Well, then tell Brian and Rose everything I'm about to tell you) The group of sliders nodded, and Ninetails spoke, with Brian and Rose looking confused.

"Okay" Horatio said, turning to Brian and Rose. "She says first off, can we have some more variety in the singing, and less show tunes"

"No"

"Number two, Rose, when Ninetails speaks to you, she knows you don't understand what she's saying, and you're blind to body language. She says to quit pretending you know what's she's saying"

"That I can do"

"And Brian, she says if you speak of her as it, or he, again, she will, well, use your imagination" Brian turned to Ninetails, who shot him as cold a look you could give with red eyes.

"I'm sorry"

"Nine" (Fine).

"You know" Axle said to Natasha, "It sure is strange that this house is undamaged. It ain't right"

"What do you mean?"

"Follow me, I want to show you that envelope I took off the boob" The two got up, and walked into another room, the group not noticing.

"Why do you tell us all of this?"

"Well, the world is ending because two groups of people can't get along. It doesn't really matter" Cameron said.

"Speaking of the war, which leader do you follow, Julius, or Grovyl?" Cameron and Dimitrius both stared at them.

"Who?" Stephanie and Horatio both shook their heads.

"Julius, leader of the humans, steel colored hair and eyes, always wears a suit. Speaks with a bad Texas accent?"

"Grovyl, leader of the hybrids. Sceptile morph, changed his name to Grovyle but removed the E?"

"Oh" Dimitrius exclaimed, "Twiddle dumb, and twiddle dumbass. We don't follow any side" This was a view the three agreed with them on.

They talked for the next few hours, time moving by quickly, not noticing Axle and Natasha were gone. Axle and Natasha were exploring the second story of the small house, Natasha in Alakazam form. They were in a small bedroom.

"Nothing here either man" She said, "Aside from the envelope, we don't have any proof these guys have anything to do with this house"

"I dunno, maybe your right" They headed out, back down to the kitchen.

Up to this point, Jonah had been quite, leading Brian to wonder if his asshole meter was broken, until he opened his mouth and asked "How long have you two been fucking?" This got him a slap from Stephanie, and shocked looks from Rose and Brian.

"What? Its obvious!"

"How!" Brian yelled, before calming down. "How is it obvious?"

"Well, you both have sexual desires, and I doubt you kept looking for batteries how ever long you've been outcasts. Also, despite my best efforts, sex always leads to relationships," Jonah pointed, "And you two have been holding hands since we sat down"

Rose and Brian looked down, horrified, and shook their hands off, as though infected. Ninetails hated to admit it, but she did like the straight forwardness of this guys, even if he was an asshole.

"You know Jonah" Stephanie said, "You're a jackass"

"Yeah man, why the fuck did you need to say it?"

"What, its obvious. I mean, it was as obvious as when I found out that Axle and Natasha were doing it. Hey Axle, how long" He noticed Axle was gone. "Axle, Natasha?"

The group stood up, noticing both their missing group mates, and that the sandstorm had stopped. The sun had come back up, and they had talked all night. A helicopter could be heard in the distance.

"Guys" Axle said, rushing into the room, Natasha in tow, "We gotta go" He was holding the envelope, and a newspaper.

"Why dude?" Dimitrius asked, "I mean, the sandstorm only just" Axle slapped the

envelope into Dimitrius's hand. Every one crowded around.

"Oh shit"

"Not them"

"Tales tales" (I can't see, what is it?)

Brian and Rose got a good look at the contraband envelope. It looked like a normal envelope, except it had a seal with the letters LF in the center.

"LF, what's that?"

"LifeForce" Axle murmured. "I thought they might have had something to do with this house, but me and Natasha didn't find any monitoring equipment. Then, we found this" He unfurled the paper, the head line reading SOOTOPOLIS SINKS. The sound of the helicopter seemed to be getting closer"

"They didn't need any monitoring system" Axle continued, "The sandstorms here are so bad, they figure if they just stalled us with those moron's from earlier, they would have time to get a task force on us"

"I don't get it?" Rose asked, "Who the hell are LifeForce?"

"Some really bad fuckers" Jonah said.

Before Brian or Rose could ask any more, the noise from the helicopter completely filled the area, almost like it had appeared out of no where. They all turned to the window, to see a giant black fighter chopper, with two machine guns, both aimed at them. It blotted out all light from the window. A voice on an intercom crackled.

"Its them"

"Come out immediately, or we will fire"


	7. VII

VII : The Attack

When facing a helicopter, with machine guns turned on you, knowing there are more on the way, your life up to that moment is not what you think about. Its what will come later. Will you ever see another day? Will you ever get to tell them how you feel? Will it hurt?

"Guy's, crowd around Natasha" Axle said.

"Why?" Rose cried.

"Just do it" Brian, Rose, and Ninetails leaned in with the group, to hide the crouching woman.

"This is your last warning" The intercom said again. Behind them, a flash. "Come out now, or we will open fire" Axle and Dimitrius looked at each other, and nodded.

"JUMP" They screamed. Every one leapt out of the way, revealing Natasha in Alakazam form, facing the helicopter.

"Okay" The pilot said, "You were wa-

"PSYCHIC" The helicopter began to glow with a purple aurora surrounding it, before being flung upward. Natasha collapsed.

"I couldn't destroy them" She returned to human form, "You guys stop them"

Brian, Rose, and Ninetails had leapt against the wall, and watched the others change.

Dimitrius developed a long muzzle, and a thick jaw, as he grew shorter, a tail emerged from his backside, and spikes appeared on the top of his head, and back of his neck. When the glowing stopped, it revealed he had become a Croconaw.

Cameron dropped in height, as he grew more cylindrical. His ears moved to the top of his head, becoming separate entities, with pronged tops. A ropy tail, with a miniature lightning bolt on the end, finished his transformation into a Raichu.

Stephanie also dropped in height, but developed more to her body, although she kept the insect like form. Wings in the back, three prongs on the head, blades for hands, and she was a Scyther.

Jonah dropped, as his legs seemed to suck in, and his arms became wings. Long feathers on top of his head, and tail feathers, that matched his hair, showed him to be a Pidgeot.

Horatio dropped to, but the top of his head grew up, and split into two points. Three bulbs on each hand, and a body like a log, showed him to be a Sudowoodo.

"Okay guys" Axle said, already in Dragonite form, "We may be stronger then them, but they have bullets, and those nets, so no unnecessary risk" It was then, that the helicopter swooped back down, and people began dropping off.

"Helicopters like that can hold up to 14 people" Natasha said, sitting with Rose, Ninetails, and Brian.

"Shouldn't you be fighting?"

"I can't maintain pokemon form, that psychic attack took all my energy. Besides, the others should be able to handle these losers" The four could do little more then watch, as the soldiers jumped through the window.

Their were 12 of them, all wearing black uniforms, with a giant white LF on the chest. Then, their was the helicopter, but that was another matter.

"They need us alive" Axle said, "so they won't use that big helicopter. Theirs 12 of them, 6 of us, 2 morons a pop?"

"Done"

* * *

Two morons jumped Axle right away, one attempting to fight him, and one holding some kind of net gun. He hoped they would provide some kind of challenge.

The one with out the gun jumped Axle, attempting to hold his arm, while the other one fired. Instead of that happening, Axle grabbed the first one when he jumped, and used focus punch, driving the punch into the man's stomach. The man gasped, and passed out on Axle's hand, before sliding to the floor.

The second man took aim, when Axle suddenly darted to the left, then the right, then back to the left, getting closer, until he used aerial ace, and slashed the man in the chest. The man passed out, more out of fear then blood-loss.

Axle noted that six of the men had net guns.

Dimitrius didn't even wait, when the man with out the gun jumped, he used hydro pump, and sent him flying against the wall. Dimitrius stopped, and the man slid down slowly, until he hit the floor.

"Hey" the man with the net gun cried, "That wasn't fair!"

"You're right, it wasn't" Dimitrius fired a second hydro pump, and knocked the other out. No one had noticed the helicopter was now facing the house from the side, with its door open.

* * *

"I feel worthless" Ninetails said, though only Natasha understood her. "I need to be helping"

"This is not your fight, its ours. We don't want you getting hurt"

"I'm a Ninetales!" Ninetails cried, "I'm two hundred years old, I think I can handle one of these grunts"

"Just let us deal with it"

* * *

One of the grunts learned just how stupid it is to attack a Scyther who is on high alert. He jumped on Stephanie, trying to punch or kick her, while her scythes were in the x-scissor formation. He landed between the two blades, which Stephanie slashed, sending him to the ground.

The net man fired, but she dogged. Using agility, Stephanie appeared behind him, and simply used slash. He fell to the ground.

"Was that all?" At this time, she and Horatio were standing in front of the window.

Horatio's guy had been faster. Horatio kept using his arm as a hammer, and the guy kept jumping out of the way. He kicked Horatio in the side of the head, causing more damage to his foot then anything else.

"Yeah, we're done here" Horatio grabbed the guy, and slammed his hammer arm on the guys head. "Man, what are these guys?"

"Pointless" Stephanie responded. Horatio had only fought one, the man with the net gun pretending to be unconscious, at the other end of the room.

Cameron didn't move, as the two men approached him slowly. The one with the net gun prepared to fire.

"I just wanted to see the looks on your faces, when I do this, thunderbolt" Electricity surged from his body, and hit the two men, leaving them shaking on the floor. Cameron walked over, making sure they weren't dead. "You'll be fine, cheer up"

"I think that's everyone" Stephanie murmured. The man in the back held up his gun slowly, pointing it at Horatio and Stephanie.

"Three shots"

"Now" Axle said, "For the helicopter"

The net gun fired.

* * *

At first, no one knew what happened, not even where the shot came from, except Horatio and Stephanie were sent over the window seal, as the net connected. When it did, they both reverted to human form. They landed on the ground, near the helicopter, and were lifted in by another grunt, still in it.

"Oh shit, Stephanie, Horatio" Axle jumped, and the man prepared to fire again.

"No!" Ninetails cried, leaping up, and jumping after them.

"Ninetails" Rose cried, jumping after her, followed by Brian and Natasha.

_That net is like the one I was in, they won't be able to get it open_.

Axle was headed for the chopper, until he looked and saw the man with the gun out of the corner of his eye. Axle extended his wings, and cleared the path, as the man fired again. He noticed the two women running to the window.

Rose and Ninetails were caught, and since they were hit while jumping, the force sent them falling into the chopper.

The man with the netgun took off, running for the window. He fired his last net at Cameron, who was preparing to shock him, connecting with him and Jonah. Dimitrius fired a hydro pump, missed, and hit Natasha instead, sending her into the wall.

"NO!" Brian screamed, as he ran after the chopper. He was almost there, when the LifeForce man pulled him down, and leapt into the chopper, which began to take off.

Considering it time for drastic action, he leapt out the window, and grabbed onto the bottom of the helicopter.

_I can't let them get away_. Axle flew out the window, after the helicopter, 40 feet in the air. He then noticed Brian dangling to it.

"We got a hanger -on" One of the two grunts in the chopper said, "Try to dump him. The helicopter began to swing back and forth, Brian gripping for dear life.

"Oh shit" The helicopter dipped, and Brian dropped.

Knowing he could only save one, Axle grabbed Brain as he fell, and the helicopter began to get away. He dropped Brian on the ground, considering strangling him. But their wasn't time. Instead, he took off after the chopper.

"Okay" The pilot said, as the grunt who had stayed in the helicopter opened the door, "You've got one shot, make it count"

The grunt had a net gun balanced on his shoulder. He held onto the inside of the door, and leaned out.

Axle was flying after them, at full speed. The grunt waited. Axle's head was equal with the tail blade. The grunt waited, until Axle's head was equal to the back of the door. The he fired.

Axle was hit with the net at 1000 feet in the air. That's actually not as high up as it seems, but when a human plummets from that height, he will die.

Axle swerved as the man fired, but he was still hit, although his head and one arm were free.

"I gotta get this fucker off" The net had reverted him to human form. Axle struggled with it, as he plummeted. A human can hit the ground in five seconds after falling from that height. He struggled to get free, and met with success.

The second arm, one leg, both legs, he was free, and transformed, with ten feet to spare. Not wasting time, Axle extended his wings, with only a few feet to go, and sailed to the ground. Axle looked at the net, then at the sky.

They were gone.

* * *

The pilot rung up the boss immediately after losing the Dragonite.

"Yes"

"It was a complete success, we have two subjects ready. Also, we captured one human, and one pokemon"

"Why?"

"For good measure. Do you want me to pitch them?"

"…No. Bring them to, we may have use for them"

"Can do"

-click-


	8. VIII

**Authors Note :** Yes, the story does branch off into two separate stories for awhile, alternating every other chapter. This one begins Rose and Ninetails story

VIII : The Tubes

The steady wirr of the helicopter blades is usually a calming noise to some. To others, it's a reminder of war. For Rose, Horatio, Stephanie, and Ninetails, the blades lived up to their name, each one the sound of another life, being sliced in two.

Ninetails also thought, _At least this time I'm awake_. She tried gnawing at the special net, but the wire was stronger then steel. All she accomplished was an aching jaw, and a bleeding tongue. The effort might have been futile, but she had to escape and protect Rose, so she kept on chewing.

Stephanie and Horatio sat in their net, with their backs pressed to the side of the helicopter. The two had become zombies, they couldn't talk, they couldn't think, couldn't really move. Their eyes were blank slates, empty, haunting.

Rose sat beside Ninetails, staring at the man with the gun aimed at them. He was the same grunt who had captured them. He had a gas mask on his lap, and what looked like a thermos leaning on his side.

Beside them was a second man, one not wearing a uniform, but a T-shirt that read Vagitarian. He also had a gas mask, and almost seemed to be asleep. If she could just move a little bit closer, and maybe get her hand through the net, she could get his gun.

"Ninetales nine nine" Ninetails said suddenly.

"What did she say?"

"She said" Stephanie murmured, "She can guess what you want to do, and if you try, you'll end up cutting your wrist" Rose nodded, and looked at the floor.

They sat in stone cold silence, as the helicopter lead them to their tomb. Rose couldn't see out the windows, and had no idea where they were going. Suddenly, they began descending.

"Hey, what's going on?" The man beside them woke up.

"Oh, are we there already?" Uniform said, standing up. He looked over at the pilot's chair. "You got your gas mask on?"

"Yep" a muffled reply. Monogram nodded, and pulled his mask on. Beside them, the third grunt pulled his on.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked with curiosity. Ninetails looked with concern, while Stephanie and Horatio treated it like they were stoned. The man opened the thermos.

A gray gas filled the chopper, and Rose and Ninetails instantly knew what it was.

_Sleeping Gas!_

"Guy's, hold your breath" Rose screamed. Stephanie and Horatio didn't do a thing, and fell asleep after a few seconds.

Ninetails fell next, having to take a breath, with her nose and mouth full of blood. Finally, Rose couldn't hold it in.

She sucked in air, only to find gas, and then an all consuming darkness.

* * *

Ninetails couldn't open her eyes, she couldn't move. She felt the fire inside her, but it felt trapped.

"This ones beautiful" a voice said.

"With the shields up, she's to weak to do anything, even if she could do anything"

"I see" Ninetails felt a hand stroking the fur on her back, then felt one grab one of her tails, and give it a hard pull.

_You fucker!_ The rage boiled up in Ninetails, but she could do nothing. _I come from a race of ancient and powerful pokemon, and you treat me like a joke?_ She felt hot breath on her ear.

"What are you going to do you little bitch?" Ninetails squirmed, trying to wake up, but the darkness consumed her, and she was out again.

* * *

Light-dark-light-dark, some one speaking, the feeling of the worse hangover she would ever have.

"Hello my beautiful" Rose opened her eyes slowly, before clenching them shut. The light, it was a sledge hammer some one was taking to her brain.

She tried again, to meet the same disasters result. Finally, the third time, she was able to keep her eyes open.

Rose's first sensation was she was flat on her back. The second thing that greeted

her, was that her arms and legs were restrained.

A man was standing over her, the second man from the helicopter. Rose opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Who-who are you?" she rasped. The man smiled.

"I am Louise" He said, in a bad eurotrash accent.

"Louis?"

"Louise, Louise" It was just Louis with an E sound. This guy was a freak.

Rose was able to get a good look at him though. He was well muscled, and still wearing that stupid T-shirt. His hair was dyed burn-your-eyes-out blond. So bright, that when the sun was down, his head could lead you home. Not only that, but it was hair jelled into little spikes. One ear was pierced, but a dangly earring was in it instead of a stud.

"Where am I?" Louise smiled.

"Why, don't you know? You are at the nerve center of LifeForce. This is the home base, and this very room, is the laboratory, where they make it all happen" Rose could barely understand the words he was speaking, so she turned her head to the left.

Across from her, were two metal tables. Both tables had orange tubes at the top of them, and conveyer belts built onto them. Rose followed the orange tube, to see it went to a giant metal cylinder. The one on the far left went in the side, and the one in the middle went in the middle. Their were also to glass tubes, with metal bottoms, and a lot of wires coming out of them, left of the machine.

Rose knew their was a tube above her, that went in the far right. Lifting her head, she could see she was strapped to a similar table, with leather straps. She turned back to Louise.

"Where's Ninetails" Louise laughed, even his laugh was cheesy.

"Your friend has been moved to her own cell. That bitch put up quit a fight, but we were able to calm her down. As for the other two, their being examined as we speak. You know, you gave us quite a scare. At first, we thought the net was over loaded, as you weren't in a lethargic state. As we would later discover, your not a slider, just fuck outta luck"

"My friends are just going to change into their pokemon forms, and then slaughter all of you, so I would suggest" Louise laughed again, cutting her off.

"Ha ha ha. If we can block their powers with a small net, surely we could do it to an entire base?" Rose shook her head in protest, but it was obvious he was right.

"So, what are you going to do with me? Kill me, torture me, ooh ooh, I know, you'll experiment on me"

"Correct" Now Rose thought he was joking.

"That doesn't make any sense, why would they want to experiment on me?"

"What's your name?"

"Rose"

"Red, do you know how many people we loose a year on experiments? Any test subject that doesn't cost us a life is a valuable one" The logic of this man was disgusting.

"I won't do it" Another laugh.

"You don't have any choice. In a few minutes, their going to wheel your friends in here, and then your going to your cell" _Cell, oh fuck_

Much like Louise said, in a few minutes, guards entered the lab, escorting a very lethargic Stephanie and Horatio.

Stephanie kept turning her hand into a Scythers blade, only to have it vanish seconds later. Horatio couldn't even do that, as he seemed to be asleep.

They were lead to the two glass tubes that were at the far left. The tubes lifted, and Stephanie and Horatio were forced onto the metal platforms, before the tubes crashed back down.

_What in the world?_ A blue jelly like substance began to fill up the tubes, from the bottom. It encompassed their knees, their waste's, their arms, their shoulders, and finally, their head. But Stephanie and Horatio didn't move. Rose's reaction was much more obvious.

"What the fuck was that?" She screamed. "Stephanie, Horatio? What the fuck's happening?"

"Oh, their in no trouble miss" One of the guards said.

"The gel is actually keeping them frozen in time, like a living death" Louise said. "They don't need food, or water, or hell, even air. But, we will need to study them, so into the coma they go. Speaking of go, its time for you to go" Louise gestured to the guards, and then pulled out a gun, that he leveled on Rose.

The two guards undid the straps, and pulled Rose off the table. Each grasping an arm, they lead her out a pair of steel double doors, into a main hall. They went down another hall, on the right, which was lighted with a series of identical doors. The doors didn't have knobs, rather, they had key card readers.

They lead Rose to a door on the right side, and one guard swiped his card. The door opened, and they tossed Rose inside, before it slammed shut.

The room was simple. About the size of a large closet, it had steel walls, a steel floor, an air vent on the ceiling, to small for Rose to crawl through, and that was it. No bed, no window's, nothing. Rose wanted to curl up into a ball, and cry.

Which was exactly what she did.

* * *

The boss was what every one called him, and that's exactly what he was. He ruled LifeForce with an iron fist. Now, he sat behind his desk, looking at a Totodile he kept in a large fish tank. The tank was unbreakable, so it couldn't get out.

"Sir" Louise said, as the door opened.

"Louis" The boss refused to call him Louise, "What do you know about the Totodile"

"Um, nearly extinct, only found in Johto" The boss nodded. Beside the fish tank, he had a plate with small pieces of raw meat on it. He opened the top of the tank.

"Yes, it is a rare, beautiful creature, but stupid. To happy, to optimistic. Do you know what happens when you abuse such an optimistic creature, when you teach it to fear humans, and life its self?" Louise shook his head. "It goes insane. It becomes extremely hostel, carnivorous, and even cannibalistic, eating any meat it can find, including members of its own kind" The boss dropped the meat in. The Totodile leapt on it, revealing he didn't have a tail, "Or even its self"

"I don't understand sir"

"People consider this creature harmless, but, it can be extremely dangerous. We are the same way. People refuse to notice us, but one day, we will rule them all. But, enough analogies, what is the status report"

"Sir, they are two healthy specimens, and we will begin giving Red and the fox-thing injections tomorrow" The boss nodded.

"Good Louis, now, I must ask you something. I heard you speaking to the girl, why did you tell her what we are going to do to her?"

"Sir, I assumed it wouldn't matter since"

"YOU ASSUMED" The boss screamed, slamming his fists down. Louise jumped back, very afraid. "You never assume! I don't pay you to assume, or to think!"

"I'm sorry sir" Louise cried. The boss shook his head.

"Louis, you've been with me since the beginning. I trust you, that's why I'm putting you in charge of this project"

"I know sir, thank you sir"

"But, but I expect it to be a complete success. You do know what happens, should something go wrong?" Louise nodded, looking at the floor, and seeing a rather large blood stain. The boss reached under his desk, and pulled out a large handgun, which he laid down for Louise to see.

Every one knew what happened, should something go wrong.

"It will be a complete success"

"Good" The boss leaned back. "Have they gotten in touch with Mr. Rollan yet?"

"No sir, Mr. Rollan has virtually vanished off the face of the earth"

"Find him, I have a job for him"

"Yes sir" The boss noticed Louise was still standing there.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Your dismissed"


	9. IX

IX : The Secret

**This is Brian's part of the story**

Two hours later, all of the captured grunts had been tied together, while Natasha went through their minds, looking for something. But, much to her frustration, their was

"Nothing!" She cried. Natasha turned to face the others.

"Nothing?" Axle asked, "How can their be nothing?"

"I don't know, every thing they know about where are friends are, is gone. Its like it's a blank slate" Natasha sighed, and dropped to the ground. "I give up, I've got nothing" They all sat down, exhausted. Cameron looked up suddenly.

"Did they have small burns on their temples?"

"Cameron, give it a rest" Dimitrius said, "If Natasha can't find them"

"No, no, I'm curious. Did they have small burns on their temples" Now every one turned to Natasha.

"Actually, yes"

"Hey, we can hear you, we know your talking about us" One of the grunts said.

"Shut up" Dimitrius growled.

"Okay" They turned back to Cameron.

"Its simple to erase short term memory actually. It has been discovered that" Cameron switched to Raichu form, "If you apply a short, electrical current to the brain, it can cause short term memory loss, any where from a few hours, to six months"

"So that's why they weren't able to fight us" Jonah exclaimed, "These guys have only worked for LifeForce for a few weeks"

"Exactly. They needed new grunts, whose memory of their home base could easily be erased"

"Can you prove this?" Axle asked. Cameron grinned, his yellow cheeks sparking.

"I was planning on it" Cameron turned to one of the grunts. He was scowling, and looking at Cameron with a look that could melt a Steelix.

"Don't you fucking touch me you fucking freak" he said. Cameron placed both his forepaws on the sides of the grunts head.

"Bye-bye" A popping noise could be heard, as Cameron shot a small current of electricity into the grunts brain. All the other grunts looked horrified, while the sliders looked interested.

Cameron backed away, and returned to human form. The grunt was smoking on the side of the head, the smell of burned flesh filling the room. He looked around slowly.

"Where the fuck am I?" He looked at the sliders, "And who the fuck are you guys?"

"Great" Dimitrius said, "You proved how they erased their memory, how do you bring it back?" Cameron sighed.

"I can't. Once you fry someone's mind, what ever you fried vanishes" Dimitrius scowled.

"That was fucking useless"

"Well, at least he's trying" Natasha cried.

"Unlike some people" Jonah said solemnly. All the sliders turned to the figure, sitting against the back wall.

Brian had been sitting there since they got him back inside. At first glance, one might have assumed he was drunk, since he swaying slightly and he was red eyed.

"I failed" He murmured. "The two people, more important to me then any one, gone"

Memories flashed through Brian's eyes, finding Ninetails in Hoenn, and finding Rose passed out on the Magnet Train in Goldenrod. Oh God, he remembered the night he and Rose, consummated their relationship, while they were in Sinou canyon.

"I'll get you back" Brian muttered, "I promise"

"We can't worry about him now" Axle said, as they sat down in a circle, "We need to find Stephanie and Horatio"

"Well" Cameron said, "The obvious answer is we go get Max's help"

"Max?" Natasha laughed. "He's not the most reliable member of our team. I mean, you can gage how drunk he is by what time it is!" Axle stopped her.

"Natasha, Max was the only one who said their wasn't a slider out here who needed help. He may not be the most reliable thing in the world, but he should be able to find Steph and Horatio"

"Max is a drunk!"

"Whose Max?" They all turned, to see Brian standing there, swaying slightly. _Fuck_

"He's uh" Natasha's brain moved a mile a second, finally deciding, "He's no one! We didn't say Max!"

"I heard you guys say his name four times" Brian sat down with them, "Who is he" They turned to Axle. Axle shrugged.

"We can tell him, it doesn't break any rules"

"Rules?"

"Yeah," Natasha said, "When me and Axle were the only members of the team, we created seven rules for each member, that must be obeyed"

"A slider must respect their teammates" Axle said.

"A slider can never use their gift for evil" Jonah said.

"A slider must be for the betterment of the world" Dimitrius said.

"A slider must never reveal the location of the Sacred Valley, except under special circumstance" Cameron said.

"A slider may only reveal them self to those who already know" Natasha said.

"A slider must offer help to every one" Jonah said.

"And the most important rule, a slider must never kill" Axle said. Brian nodded slowly.

"What's the Sacred Valley?" All of the sliders got a sick look on their face.

"Natasha, would you mind?"

"On it" She shifted into Alakazam, and faced the grunts.

"What the fuck?" Something like waves came out of Natasha's eyes, and the grunts all passed out. She returned to human form, and rejoined the group.

"Okay, can we tell him?"

"That information only applies to some one whose going with us" Jonah sneered, "This clown is staying here"

"No. My friends got taken also, any where you go" Brian said, "I go" Jonah laughed.

"You think you know anything kid? You don't kn-"

"I'll tell you" Axle said.

"Wha, Axle?"

"Jonah, shut up" Axle turned to directly face Brian. "You do know that by going with us, you will probably be killed, right?

"I don't care. My friends matter more then my life" Axle nodded, excepting the answer.

"Unfortunately, I'm going to need more proof the that" Axle said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I want you to show me you value your friends life more then your own"

* * *

"We don't have time for this" Dimitrius growled. All of them stood outside of the house, with the sliders standing in a wide circle, and Axle and Brian in the center. "Suppose those LifeForce bastards decide to kill Stephanie and Horatio?"

"They captured them for a reason" Axle replied, "If they wanted to kill them, they would have just gone and done it"

"But" Brian said, "What about my friends? Rose and Ninetails aren't sliders, suppose they kill them"

"They were over 1000 feet off the ground, if they wanted to kill your friends, they would have pitched them out of the helicopter. But, enough worrying" Axle faced Brian, eye's meeting. "This is the time for you to prove that, you know your going to die, and you would rather die fighting for those you care about, then live with out them"

"And, how do I do that?" Axle shifted into Dragonite form. "Oh fuck, right"

"The game is simple, a one on one match. The match is over when you defeat me, or when I defeat you" Brian nodded, and took a battle stance. Natasha stood in the center of the outer circle, playing official.

"Players ready? Then go"

Brian ran at Axle, fist raised high, as fast as his human legs would carry him. He swung at Axle, to discover he was a foot away, and not even moving.

Axle had simply held out his arm, and let Brian's head run into it, stopping him dead. He picked Brian off the ground by his head, careful not to cause serious injury, then slammed him into the ground, hard.

"Give up yet?" Brian pushed himself back up, coughing dirt.

"Never" Brian jumped back at Axle, punching and kicking wildly. "Yahhhauuuuuhhh" Brian stopped dead, hunched over. Axle had jabbed him in the stomach with one claw, and the force had knocked the wind out of Brian. He fell back, into the dirt. Axle walked over to him.

"Here, let me help you up"

"YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH" Brian screamed, as he slammed his fist into Axle's muzzle, as hard as he could. The shock caused Axle to stumble, allowing Brian to jump up, and start punching and kicking him as hard as he could.

"Okay, I'll end this" Axle drove the palm of his hand into Brian's chest, lifting him off the ground, before throwing him back down. He then leapt on Brian, pinning him to the ground.

"Do you surrender?" Brian shook his head, struggling against the dragons weight. Axle sighed, opened his mouth, and allowed for a ball of energy to form. _Oh shit, hyper beam._

"You know what" Brian said, "Go ahead, fire away! I've lost, the only two people (in a technical sense) who have ever cared about me are probably dead, so go ahead, fire" Axle turned his head straight up, and fired the hyperbeam. He climbed off Brian, and helped him up.

"Congratulations" He said, returning to human form, "You've just experience near death. I think we can use you"

* * *

A few minutes later, they were back in the house, sitting in front of the still sleeping grunts. Axle began to talk.

"What do you know about wild pokemon?"

"Uh, aside from their extinct, nothing"

"Well, I agree with you on the second part, you know nothing. Brian, do you know how hard it would be to over 400 species of pokemon go extinct? The only way would be to destroy the earth completely, and even that might not work.

"No, the human race, despite its best efforts, could never make all species go extinct. They had to go somewhere, so where?

"Well, before the legendaries left earth, they created a place called the Sacred Valley. It is a place that has a habitat for all species of pokemon, where they can live with out fear of destruction.

"And no, no body can discover the place by accident. The only way to find the entrance to the Sacred Valley, is if you already know where it is, or if your taken there by some one who does.

"Now, the valley is protected by the guardian. He ignores us, because we're pokemon and humans, but a pure human he might not ignore. He was hurt by humans one time, so we might have to convince him to let you in.

"When we're not out in the world, the Sacred Valley is where we stay. We have a deal with the guardian, we get to live there in peace, and we agree to never reveal the location to a human, unless under special circumstances. The Sacred Valley is where Max lives, and he may be the only one who can help us"

"You still haven't told me who Max is!" Brian cried.

"Trust us" Cameron said, "Dude, you'll need to meet Max to discover who he is. And, after meeting him, if you discover who he is, could you tell us?"

* * *

A few minutes later, they were standing outside, with Axle in Dragonite form, and Jonah in Pidgeot form.

"Okay" Axle said, "Brian you'll be riding on Jonah's back with Natasha"

"Will we have enough room?"

"Just make sure you hang on" Brian nodded, turned, and nearly fell over with a splitting head ache.

"What the fuck happened?" They were no longer in front of the house in Petalburg, rather, they were in what appeared to be a dessert. Their were black, gnarled trees sparsely through out the terrain. Sitting in the middle of all of it, was a pair of wooden double doors, not attached to anything.

Brian then noticed that he was sitting on the ground. Every one but Cameron was in human form.

"Sorry dude" He said, "We can't let you know where the Sacred Valley is" Brian scowled as he stood up, helped up by Dimitrius and Natasha. Cameron shifted back to human form, grinning.

"Couldn't you guys have done something less painful, like, I dunno, A BLINDFOLD?!"

"This way is more effective" Axle said.

"This way was more fun" Jonah said. Glares from the entire group. Axle shook his head.

"Now come on. We gotta see Max" They walked towards the doors, Brian not sure what was going on.

Axle opened one door, and it was far from dessert on the other side. It looked like a grass field, with lots of plants and trees, and pokemon! Brian had never seen wild pokemon, but he saw a row of Seedot walk bye. A Skarmory flew over head, and its cry hit Brian's soul.

"Don't stand there gawking" Jonah said, "Come on" They pushed him to the entrance. Brian got one foot in, and found him self facing the opposite direction, about ten feet away.

"What the?" He turned, just in time to see the door slam shut, with the others inside.

"Brian?" Natasha cried, noticing he wasn't inside.

"How'd he disappear?"

"I dunno, he was right in front of me" Axle turned to them grimly.

"You don't think, the guardian could have?"

"Well, it would be right up his alley"

Brian was pounding on the door, after finding the handle didn't work.

"Guy's" He cried, "You've got to let me in"

_Oh really? Why?_ Brian fell back on his ass.

"Who said that?" The wooden doors opened, and a figure came out of them slowly.

_I said, why do you deserve entrance? Why do you even deserve the life you have? Do you know what your species has done to the pokemon in this valley? Do you know what they did to me?_

Brian could get a good look at the creature now. It was almost feline, standing over six feet tall. It had three balled hands and feet, and a giant tail that swung back and forth slowly. Its color scheme appeared to be white and purple, and it had a look of pure rage on its face.

_I am Mewtwo, the guardian of this valley_

"Oh shit"


	10. X

X : The Events Before

**Authors Note :** This is a brake from the other two stories, and I'm experimenting with something new. I hope you enjoy it

_We fight wars, we love to fight. We fight and fight and fight with our guns or money, and the planet is never one bit better then it was before us – Brandon Whittier_

Lets pause for a moment, and go back to the year the war began, to understand why Mewtwo was the guardian of the Sacred Valley, and to better understand the events of the world.

**15 years earlier**

Outside of Saffron city, sits a military base, the largest in Kanto. It has become the head quarters of the human army, where tonight, a large regiment of them, over 20,000 men, line the base in front of a platform, where a man in a cheap suit is preparing to instruct them.

Each one was wearing military clothing, with an assault rifle strapped to their bodies, and six pokeballs around their waste. They watched the man with a hungry look in their eyes, breathing in the drivel from his mouth.

The man on the platform, in front of the microphone, was an average sized man, whose color scheme could have been described as gray. He wore a gray, three piece suit, had steel gray hair cut in a bowl cut, and had seedy, piercing gray eyes, with which he looked into the soul of every man. His name was Julius, and he was the leader of the human army. He turned to the microphone, and began to speak.

"Tomorrow gentlemen, we go to war. Why is it we go to war though? Is it because we are hate filled? Is it because we are power mad? Is it because we simply don't understand?"

"NO!" The crowd shouted.

"No is correct. We fight, for the glory of Kanto. We fight, because those hybrid's are not satisfied with all we have given them. We have given them separate housing areas to live, so they will not be mocked as freaks. We have given their children special schools, so they will be able to learn with their own kind. And are they grateful? NO!

"They respond by declaring Viridian City the capitol of their new country. And then, they declare any action against them is an act of war! Well to them, I say fine, war it is! They can't run a region of the world with out us, and soon they will see it. And after Kanto, if we go to Johto, then so be it!"

This brought cheers from the crowd of soldiers. In the back ground, behind all of them, sat a figure in a brown cloak. He shook his head slowly. _Why is it their nature, to fight what they don't understand_? Faster then a blink of an eye, he was gone.

In Viridian City, their were no bases, so the center of the city held a rally quit similar to the second. Except, instead of human soldiers, all the soldiers were pokehybrids, with their pokemon sitting around them instead of inside of balls.

On the center stage, stood another leader in a cheap suit. Unlike Julius, this one was a Sceptile hybrid. His skin was entirely green, with the exception of six yellow seeds that came out his back. His head had retained a semi-human shape, with a human nose on the end of a beak like muzzle. He had yellow eyes, and two green ridges came out of his black hair. His fingers were clawed, but their were five of them, and unlike a Sceptile, he was missing the two long leaf blades above the wrist. He had a long, four sided palm frond tail, and a smile that could rival Julius in level of creepiness. His name was Grovyl, and he was the leader of the hybrid army.

"My friends, hybrid and pokemon alike, I ask you, why do they hate us? What did we ever do to them, but show kindness and compassion. We tried to get them to understand us, to understand we are different, but did they?

"No. Instead, they gave us our special homes, and schools, and even our special little world to live in, away from them, so they would not have to open their air tight minds to something new. They say we are a disease, are we?"

"NO!"

"NO! We are not the disease, we are the advancement. We are the future of the world, we are tomorrow now. They want to fight us? They want to go to war? We'll give them a war!" He pumped his fist in the air, "For the pride of all hybrids, hooorahh"

"Hoorahh, hoorahh, hoorahh"

This time, the figure in the brown cloak sat on a window ledge of a tall building, watching the disaster unfold. A pink shot of energy, faster then the human eye, sailed through the sky. Mew slowed down, and landed beside him.

"So, what do you think of them?"

_Butchers. Both of them butchers_

"Your worried about the people they'll kill?"

_My loyalties are not with the humans or the hybrids, but the pokemon who serve them, and those whose homes and lives will be taken_

"What are you prepared to do to stop them?"

_There is nothing I can do. All I can do is wait_

"And wait we shall"

**11 years earlier**

The war had lasted for four years now. The fighting in Kanto had now moved to Vermilion City, which was one of the last unclaimed cities. Fighting had already begun though in Johto, and the armies were expected to move there next. Sinnoh had declared them selves neutral, but it didn't matter, the fighting would end up there one day also.

Mewtwo stood in the ruins of Cerulean City, which had been leveled by a bombing raid. He floated through it, trying to understand what could drive creatures to such destruction.

The forest area around Cerulean had been destroyed also. Mt. Moon was a smoking crater of its former glory. Laying through the city were bodies of humans, hybrids, and pokemon. It was now the policy of the human army to execute any wild pokemon on sight, as they might be spies.

The Cerulean gym he visited next. Mewtwo always held a special level of contempt of gyms, but even this was unnecessary, as he headed inside.

The gym leader lay at the bottom of an empty pool, a bullet hole in her head. Around her lay the bodies of people training here, and their pokemon. On the platform where the challenger stands, the skeleton of a Seel lay on the skeleton of a boy. Their was a large hole in the Seel's chest, that went through the boys chest.

_Why would any one do this?_ The scary part is, the massacre at the gym had been perpetrated by the hybrid army, who had executed all who didn't go over to their side.

Mewtwo left the gym, floating along the roads. Wind whistled between buildings, the sun glared on the remnants of a city. Now, all empty.

"I thought I'd find you here" Mew said, darting around like a bug on speed.

_What is it that you want?_

"Actually, I'm supposed to bring you somewhere"

_And if I don't want to go?_

"Then I'll buzz around your head, asking any question that pops into my mind, until you agree.

_A torture worse then death. Alright, where am I supposed to go?_

* * *

They teleported to the Hall of Origin, the last place Arceus was known to have been before disappearing over 10,000 years ago. 21 legendaries stood there, all that remained of their kind.

"Mewtwo, you made it" He growled.

_Either keep my interested, or I will leave_

"Alright, getting straight to the point, the war in Kanto is destroying the land, and Johto and Hoenn will be next. All pokemon in the world will die if the war continues, and the humans will follow close behind. How ever, we can do nothing to stop them, since we agreed to not interfere with the affairs of the world.

"Instead, for our own safety, we have created another dimension of sorts, from which we will watch the battle, with out being apart of it. We wish for you to join us"

_Why are you leaving? I don't understand_

"They have begun capturing our kind with master balls, which both the humans and hybrids mass produce. Giratina and Zapdos have both been captured"

_So, you are fleeing out of cowardice_

"Do not call us cowards. Even your original is leaving" Mewtwo turned to Mew.

_Even you're leaving_

"I dunno, maybe, maybe not. I don't care if I get captured, it might even be fun!"

_You're a fool, but that is not the point. What about the pokemon of this world, will you really do nothing to help them?_

"We can do nothing without endangering ourselves"

_…Then, in that case, your all cowards, and I will never join you_ With that, Mewtwo departed.

_

* * *

_

All of the pokemon in the world will die, so I must create a safe haven.

Mewtwo had transported himself to a barren area, not found in any of the four regions. _If they will create their own dimension, so will I_

"Can I help?" Mew asked.

_Where did you come from?_

"Behind you, where else? Now, can I help"

_Fine, you may help_ The two creatures created a giant dome like area, completely wild, with forest, dessert, water, ice, volcanic, and any other area that a pokemon would need to live in. In the center of the valley, Mewtwo raised out of the ground an eleven story black tower. It was completely metal, with an observation platform on the top. It was to be known as the watch tower, from where he would act as guardian.

"I think its beautiful"

_I'm using this tower as a beacon. Any pokemon will know where it is, and to get to this place, all they must do is think about it. They will appear in front of the door, and be allowed into this sacred place._

"Good. Now, I must go, but first, I must tell you something"

_What?_

"In a years time, a group of five humans will appear here. They are not like other humans though, for they are also pokemon. They are called sliders. I ask, please allow for them to live here, because ten years after that, their number will have grown, but they will bring another human with them. He is completely human, but he and his girlfriend, along with the sliders will save many lives, both human and pokemon"

_…I will allow for the sliders to stay if they come. As for the human, I will test him, then decide whether to let him in._

It was on this somber note, that the Sacred Valley came into existence. Mewtwo acted as the guardian over all the pokemon living there, waiting for the day the human would appear, until finally he did.


	11. XI

XI : The Treatment

Rose had actually hoped they were going to kill her, on the second day on her dank little cell. The room was a cement closet that smelled like piss. Of course, it smelled like piss because she didn't have a bathroom, but that was irrelevant.

This was more then a holding cell, it was her tomb, for a death that would never come. Rose had only been in it for 2 days, and all ready she didn't know whether it was day or night. She didn't have a watch, or any thing other then her dirt dress. Rose didn't even have shoes, so her feet had all but frozen off.

The cell was freezing cold, and Rose spent the first day shivering, trying desperately to keep warm. At night, sleep did not come. The entire room made strange creaking noises, like in the hull of a ship. All and all, people in ancient times, who were buried alive for punishment, had more fun then Rose was having.

* * *

Ninetails wasn't doing any better. Her cell was, for lack of a better word, strange.

Ninetails was being kept in the center of a large cement room. The room had no windows, four large hoses hanging from the ceilin., and only one light and one door. In the center of the room, Ninetails sat, her area being designated by a taped white square.

Now, the white square was large enough for her to sleep in, not that it mattered. Sleep also didn't come for her. All the time she was worried if she touched the edge of the square. The square was wired with motion censors.

If she moved beyond it, the four hoses instantly began spraying enough water to fill the room in minutes. The water was also kept 1 degree above freezing, nearly lethal for Ninetails.

_They grabbed my tail_ was the only thing going through her mind. They did it, not by accident, but rather, to simply see if they could get away with it. _If I swear only one thing, I swear this. I will get you, if it takes all of my 1000 years._

From his office, on two monitors, the boss watched the two cells with glee. Slowly, he touched Rose's screen, touching the picture of her face.

"So beautiful. What I wouldn't give" He murmured, breathing heavily. "I promise you one thing, you'll be mine one day darlin'"

* * *

One common thought went through the human and pokemon women. _I'm going to kill those bastards._ But, what could they do. Ninetails felt the fire inside of her, but knew the base kept it from coming out. Rose tried every thing to make a weapon, but it didn't matter, because she never saw any people to use a weapon on.

Rose and Ninetails were given food and water 3 times a day. But they never saw who gave it to them. At certain intervals, a buzzer would ring in their cells. Then, sleeping gas could be heard pouring in. When they woke up, a tray (or in Ninetails case, a bowl) of food and a glass of water had been left for them. About a half an hour later, the buzzer would go off again, and when they woke up, the tray was gone.

Ninetails had no chance of escaping. She couldn't even move, much less formulate a plan. Plus, the base blocked out most of her thoughts, along with her powers. So, Ninetails only hope was Rose.

_I'm doomed_

* * *

Contrary to Ninetails pessimism, Rose was thinking of a plan! On day two, Rose had noticed small puncture wounds in her left arm.

"If I don't get out of here, their going do something to me, and it'll probably kill me" Rose murmured, as she ran her hands along the cement wall. "I might be able to get them to let me out though"

* * *

In the security room, two guards sat watching Rose and Ninetails cells from two hidden cameras. Louise walked in, and stared over one's shoulder, looking at Rose.

"Is she still doing that?"

"Yep, been doing it for two hours"

On the small screen, Rose was dancing in the cell, and singing at the top of her lungs.

"Fame! I'm going to live forever" She sang.

"I think she's lost it" Louise shook his head.

"If she were really that crazy, she would have tried to kill her self by now" Rose ran up the wall, doing a flip.

"I'm serious. This girl's flipped her lid" Louise shook his head, but even he seemed uncertain.

"Why can't she be like her pokemon friend" Louise muttered, looking at Ninetails. "Complacent, quiet, having lost the will to live"

"How many more injections will they need?" the other guard asked.

"Only the ones I'm about to give them. We're preparing the machine as we speak. I'm anxious to see what the end result will be on Miss Rose"

"Remember, remember, remember, remember" Rose sang on screen.

* * *

"I've got no chance if I'm relying on Rose" Ninetails said to her self, "So, I've got to figure out a way to survive the sleeping gas" She ran her toung along her fangs. "Special shield or not, I can still bite through their skulls"

Ninetails attempted to pace. As best she could. "All I need is an air pocket. I'm assuming they shut down the motion sensors, when they drop off that shit they call food. If I can make into the hall way, I still have to take out a bunch of guards. But, it's a start" Ninetails looked at the ground, willing it to break open.

_Surrender is not an option. It is better to die, then to be captured_. The words of her own father, told to her when she was a Vulpix.

"I think I might have an idea" Ninetails murmured, "But, its so simple, surely they would have thought about me doing it?"

* * *

"Okay" Louise said, from the security room, "Activating sleeping gas" On the screen, the figures of Rose and Ninetails collapsed. Louise pulled out a small glass bottle, and syringe. "I've gotta inject them first"

* * *

Rose woke up, with a killer head ache, and a tray with a plate of food and a glass of water. It also had a metal fork.

_This, I can work with_

* * *

Ninetails woke up, to see a bowl of food, and another glass of water.

_I was wrong. They really are that stupid._

* * *

"Okay lunkheads" Louise said, entering the security room, "How are my prizes doing?"

"Uh, Mr. Louis?" One of them said.

"What, what is it nit? And I told you, its Louise!" Louise looked down at the security monitor. Ninetails was staring at her food. Rose was dancing with her fork.

"I got more in me, and you can set it free, I can catch the moon in my hands, Don't you know who I am?" Rose screamed, at the top of her lungs. Her back turned to the camera.

"Remember, remember, remember, remem-aughh!" Rose fell over, blood seeping out of her neck, and the bloody fork laying beside her.


	12. XII

XII : The Valley

Brian was visibly shaking, as Mewtwo stared at him, hovering above the entrance to the Sacred Valley.

_Why should we let you in?_ Mewtwo asked, his words filling Brian's head.

"Because, my friends are in danger, and I need to know where they are. Some one in there might know." The powerful pokemon's glare made Brian's blood turn to cement. But he didn't back down.

_Suppose I were to kill you, right now, just for fun? What would you do then?_

"You can't kill me" Brian said, "Shoot my head off, until I get what I want, I won't die" Mewtwo smirked.

_Right around now, beings with my power would go on a rant about seeing if your heart is pure, and then deciding whether you deserve in or not. _Brian's spirit leapt. _I however, don't give crap about such things. All humans are evil._

Mewtwo pointed one of its rounded digits. A small ball of psychic energy appeared, and shot off. Right into, and down, Brian's throat.

_Instead, I think I'll have some fun of my own. That other one is always telling me the value of fun, so lets find out. Theirs one entrance to the valley, within 1000 yards of where you stand, in all directions. If you are within 1000 yards, in one hour, and have not found the entrance, the ball inside of you will explode._

_Now, if you run away, as fast as you can, you should be able to get over 1000 yards away. The ball will simply shut off. And no, if I kill you, you don't become a slider, I don't work that way._

Mewtwo began to vanish within the entrance. _One hour_. And then he was gone.

* * *

Axle, Natasha, Dimitrius, Cameron, and Jonah all stared out at Brian, from Mewtwo's observation platform, dumbstruck. A Pollytoad came bye, singing happily.

"Oh, you saw Mewtwo playing his game again?" It asked, as it walked bye.

"Um, yeah" Dimitrius gulped. "He's joking about that right"

"Of course" A sigh of relief. "If your friend gets 1000 yards away, he explodes automatically"

* * *

Brian knew this was a lost cause. All around him, their was dessert, and a few burned up trees.

"I can't search this entire place in an hour!" Brian screamed, "And he knows it!"

Now, several pokemon, aside from Mewtwo and the sliders, were watching from the observation platform. The sliders weren't sure what scared them more, that Brian might explode, or that the pokemon were making bets.

* * *

"Twenty minutes" A Geodude said, "Then he runs"

"I bet he lasts half of that" A Kelceon responded. Cameron shook his head.

"Can I get in on that?" Jonah asked.

"Jonah!" Cameron cried.

"What, I've never won before!"

"That's not why I'm shocked"

Dimitrius noted that most of the pokemon though, didn't seem to care if he mad it. In fact, most seemed to want him to fail.

Mewtwo sat in a trance like sleep, ignoring every one on the platform. Axle and Natasha were attempting to get him to stop.

"You can't just do this to any one you feel like!" Natasha yelled.

_I only do it to humans who attempt to enter the valley with out permission. Three other skeletons say I can. Besides, if he is smart, he'll figure it out. If he's strong, the explosion might not kill him._

"We barely know the guy, but that doesn't mean we can't feel for him!" Axle yelled. "I don't need to know him long, to know he will be killed if you don't stop this!"

_Please don't yell. If you barely know him, why do you care so much?_

"Because, it's humane to care" Now Mewtwo was mad. His eyes shot open, and Axle and Natasha were suddenly levitating.

_Humane? Is it humane that a war has all but destroyed the world, and that all pokemon have been delegated to an area the size of a stamp?! Don't you dare tell me about humane._ He dropped the two, and went back into his trance.

**

* * *

**

48 min to go

Brian was holding on to the branch of a burned up tree, kicking the trunk, hoping to hear a ringing, or a hollow noise. Nothing.

"Okay" He said, dropping to the ground. "One tree down" Brian looked at the rest, scattered along the environment. "1000 to go"

* * *

Mew watched Brian kick another tree. It had made its self invisible, and was now going to see Mewtwo.

_I said to have more fun, and this is what you do_. Mewtwo didn't even open his eyes. He could try ignoring Mew, but that would only make it more persistent.

_I don't think of it as fun. It's hard work._

_Hard work? I said he and his girlfriend, and that Ninetales are going to do something extraordinary. Your response is to blow him up._

_You know, you may have been practicing, but you still can't sound mad._

_Sigh. I know, and I'm not. I think he'll make it through. I'm an optimist._

_You're a moron. Always happy. If he blows up, oh well._

_Theirs that award winning sympathy I've heard so much about._

_Did you come here to say something, or annoy me?_

_I came to ask you to stop._

_No._

**

* * *

**

32 min to go

"Okay, we're assuming the entrance it not in a tree" Brian had his face pressed to the ground, and was crawling along, knocking on the ground.

"It has to be somewhere" Brian couldn't focus clearly, the panic setting in. "Okay, I need to focus on something else if I'm going to make it" He began to cycle songs through his head. "For your eyes only, can see me through the night" Brian sang, as he continued to crawl along knocking.

_The only way I can definitely loose is if I panic, so don't panic_

* * *

Dimitrius wondered why that idiot was crawling along the ground, with his face planted into it, singing.

"I may think its stupid, but he doesn't have any choice" He said.

"I agree with you" The Pollytoad from earlier said. "I actually hope he makes it" Dimitrius nodded, before turning to the toad, with a confused look.

"We found you wandering along out here. You can't wander out here, you only end up on this tower if you want to go here" Dimitrius picked up the toad, and started shaking him. "Why are you here?"

"I might have missed the last one of these, so I wanted to see what the big deal was!"

**

* * *

**

11 min to go

Brian stood on a tree branch, looking at the ground. He had given up singing, since he couldn't focus on the song lyrics.

"To all who are listening" He yelled, "I think there is a hollowed spot there" He pointed, "And I intended to find out"

Brian leapt from the tree, and hit the ground, with his legs folded in. Their was of course, no hollow spot, so his knees nearly broke when he hit the ground.

"Fuck!" Brian screamed, falling on his side. He turned over, to stare at the sky. "If I gotta go, I might as well be go, looking at something beautiful"

First he thought of Rose, hopping she would get every one who hurt her. Then, his thoughts drifted to Ninetails, knowing she wouldn't stop until she killed every one who hurt her.

"Okay, let me think. I can't go out this way, I need to see them again. Now, Mewtwo said their was one entrance way, within 1000 yards of where I was" Brian sat up, and began to draw diagrams in the dirt.

"There are tree's every where, and the 1000 yards are in the shape of a circle. With this information, I've got no fucking idea" He fell back.

_Theirs one entrance where I stand? Wait! Is it really that obvious?_

**

* * *

**

2 min to go

Mewtwo and the others stood in front of the door, where Brian was going to have to show up. Their was a knock, and the door opened.

"The main entrance" Brian said, entering. "You said their was one entrance. Their is, the main one"


	13. XIII

XIII : The Boss

_I fainted…And you ate my ass? – Comrade Snarky_

"Fuck" Louise screamed. "I gotta head down there. Start sleeping gas in the pokemon's room, and do not leave those screens" As Louise rushed down the hall, his only thoughts were _The boss is going to kill me_, and _I never get to pound that pussy._

* * *

Rose remembered something she had learned from watch interviews with witnesses, at accident or crime scenes. When asked about the body, they generally only remembered the blood. Not where it came from, but that their was blood.

Rose's plan was simple. She had started singing, to make them think she was crazy, to give her "sucicide" more plausibility. It doesn't take much to get people to think your crazy, show tunes from outdated musicals, will generally do it.

Hopping she convinced them she was crazy, Rose took the metal fork they gave her (although a broken plastic fork would do) and stabbed the inside of her palm. Rose pressed it to her neck, faced the camera's, and "passed out". It worked just like she hoped it would, when Louise rushed into the room.

"Oh fuck! Oh fuck, fuck, fuck" Rose lay on her back, with her eyes open, and her still bleeding palm on her neck. By now, the blood had stained her dirt rag, and the smell burned her nose and eyes. It was a Herculean effort, not to blink or breathe.

"Okay, maybe its not that bad" Louise removed Rose's limp hand, dropping it on the fork. All that blood, but, no wound? "What the?"

"DIE FUCKER" Rose screamed, grabbing the fork, and stabbing him in the leg. Louise screamed, and dropped down on the knee, trying to pull the fork out, while Rose scooted away, and jumped up.

"FUCK" Louise screamed, and then grit his teeth, as he pulled the fork out. He looked at it, then looked up, right as Rose drove a full kick under his chin. Louise hit the ground face first, and Rose brought her fists down hard on his head. When he hit the ground, she stomped on the back of his neck, until he stopped moving.

Satisfied he was unconscious, Rose began searching his pockets, until she found his key card.

"I'm going to take this" Rose found Louise's wallet, with 400 in it. "I'm going to take this too" Rose put the money in her hair, and ran out the door, which slammed shut behind her.

* * *

Louise came to slowly, blood dripping out of the gash in his forehead, from hitting the ground. He flipped over, and sat up. The door was closed, and his key card, and wallet were missing.

"This can't be fucking happening to me" Louise pulled out his radio, "Guys, where is Red?"

"Well" the guys in the security room said, "After she beat the shit out of you, she stole your key card, and ran out the door. We think she's looking for Ninetails" Louise swallowed, and counted to 10.

"Why didn't you stop her?"

"You told us not to move from the screen"

"…YOU STUPID FUCKS, you needed to fucking stop her. Great, look, turn off the blocker shields, I'll retrieve them, and we don't want the boss to know, understood?"

"Your going to take them on your self?"

"No one can know she got out"

"Yes sir"

* * *

Rose assumed they kept all of the holding cells on the same hall, so she turned down her hall, instead of heading to the main one.

All of the doors looked the same, so she tried every one. All were empty, until she came to the second to last one. Sliding the card, the door opened, to reveal Ninetails,

slumped down on the floor.

"Ninetails, crap" Rose rushed over, ignoring the white taped square, the pressure sensors designed to go off when the gas entered the room. She started to shake Ninetails awake.

When Ninetails had asked if they could really be that stupid, she got her answer when they left a glass of water for her. Why they used a glass was beyond her, but Ninetails saw it as an easy way to escape the sleeping gas.

Simply turning the glass over, and sticking her muzzle in the least far it would go, she was able to create a pocket of air. Their was enough air in the glass to last about two minutes, which was all she needed.

Ninetails didn't even need the gas to fully dissipate, just to stop coming out. When she heard the spray noise, she dropped to her side, muzzle in glass, eye's closed. When she heard the door open, she prepared. Now, someone was trying to shake her awake?

_Time to strike_ "Ninetales!' She cried, leaping up, fangs ready to bite, until she saw, "Nine" (Rose?)

"Hey, I made it, now lets get out of here" Ninetails leapt up, and the two began to run out of the room. Ninetails made it about halfway, when she realized she felt different. Energetic, less lethargic.

"Tales ninetales" (Hold on a second Rose) Rose turned to see what the hold up was. Ninetails turned her head straight up, and shot out a stream of fire.

"What the?" _My fire is back._ The two rushed out.

* * *

"I've got to stop them" Louise muttered, touching his sore forehead, "Or I'm a dead man" He made it to Ninetails cell, right as the two rushed out.

"Ah, my favorite people!" Louise cried.

"Louise, get out of my way"

"Or what?"

"Ninetales!" (Or we kick your ass). This got a laugh.

"You, kick my ass?" Rose and Ninetails looked at each other, then Louise, with curious expressions plastered on their faces.

"How, how did you know what Ninetails said?"

"I dunno, maybe, because of this" Louise smirked. He began to glow white.

"No fucking way!" Distinct spikes appeared in his outline, as he dropped in height, and onto four legs. The glow faded, revealing him as a Jolteon.

"I bet you never expected that" he said in English. Ninetails jumped in front of Rose, in battle position.

"Tales ninetales nine" (Rose, get in the room, and out of the way) The language barrier didn't hinder Rose, who moved backwards, into the cell.

"So, you think you can beat me?"

"Ninetales nine ninetales ninetales" (I know it. I allways look at my oponets as candy bars, they all wear different wrappers, but on the inside they're soft, and they melt in heat)

"Well in that case, thunderbolt" A bolt of electricity shot off of Louise's body, which Ninetails met with a flame-thrower.

At first, the electricity and the fire were equal, neither moving back or forward. But Ninetails flame-thrower slowly began creeping forward.

"I can't beat you in power" Louise said, "But I can do this" Louise let electricity flow from his body, into the floor, knowing it was metal. His thunderbolt dropped, allowing for Ninetails flame thrower to surge. Unfortunately, since the floor was metal, and Ninetails couldn't jump away, the electricity surged through her body, rendering her unconscious.

"That's one" Louise stepped over Ninetails, and began to move on Rose. Rose was backing up, not knowing that the pressure sensors on the square had been turned back on. The back of Rose's foot hit the square.

Two high pressure hoses unloaded all the water at Rose, sending her flying against the back wall, knocking her out.

Louise simply stared at the soaking, unconscious girl, as he shifted back to human form. Suddenly, his radio crackled.

"Louis" The boss.

Gulp "Yes sir?"

"I know about your screw up" Louise's heart dropped, "But I'm willing to over look it. I've turned the blocker shields back on, bring the girl and the pokemon to me"

"Yes sir"

* * *

Rose and Ninetails awoke, to find them selves somewhere new. Rose was sitting in an office chair, Ninetails sitting on the floor beside her, in something like an office.

"Glad to see you've rejoined us" It was the voice that made them notice the desk in front of them, and the creature beside it. Rose and Ninetails shock was obvious.

"I know who you are!"

"I'm glad to hear someone does" The man behind the desk was a Sceptile hybrid, with a human shaped face, green skin, yellow eyes, yellow bulbs on his back, and a palm frond like tail. He was wearing a pinstriped suit, with holes cut out for his pokemon parts.

"You're Grovyl, you're the guy who leads the hybrid army"

"Ninetales nine ninetales" (I always though that Julius guy was creepy, he doesn't hold a candle to you)

"What do you want from us?" The hybrid smiled.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to meet the two people who beat my security system, and out smarted that moron Louis"

"Ninetales nine" (I've been getting injections, what are you doing to us?)

"Oh, the injections? That's something you will understand later"

"Why did you kidnap us?"

"Do you know just how powerful sliders could be? They are the best soldiers, they can blend in seamlessly in either arm"

"Ninetales" (An army, so you want the world)

"EXACTLY" He screamed, slamming his green fist on the desk. "I want the world, and every thing that I have coming to me. The war has been going on for 15 years, the army's are weak. My super soldiers will be able to march up, and take every thing"

"Well, obviously, your super soldiers have flaws, or we wouldn't be here" Grovyl scowled.

"Yes, they do have flaws. Over time, it becomes harder and harder for them to shift back and forth between human and pokemon form, with the pokemon form eventually taking over. We needed your friends to make a few, minor adjustments"

"And what about us?" A buzzing noise came from the speaker on Grovyl's desk.

"Your about to find out" The door opened, and two grunts marched in. "Take them to the lab"

The grunts grabbed Rose and Ninetails by the neck. Rose elbowed one in the stomach, while Ninetails bit the other on the arm. The two didn't even flinch, and lead the struggling Rose and Ninetails away.

The speaker buzzed again, and Grovyl pressed the button.

"Good work Grovyl, come and see me in my office immediately"

"Yes sir" Grovyl turned to the wall behind his desk, and pressed a small button.

Instantly, a door to a second office opened up, and Grovyl walked inside.

The boss sat behind a large oak desk, with three portraits of three military men behind him. The boss gestured for Grovyl to sit down, before turning his chair around, to face the center portrait.

"Grovyl, do you know who this man is?"

"No sir" He did, but the correct answer was no.

"General Yuri T. Koskav, two star general in the Sinnoh army, 78 years ago. Best remembered for being stranded in the mountains, with one platoon of soldiers, when they came under attack from 10,000 hybrids. Killed every one" Grovyl growled.

"Those hybrids were 98 hybrids, they had completely feral minds" The boss laughed.

"Which makes it all the more amazing they beat 10,000 of them" He sniffled, "Greatest General ever, and a hero to all man kind"

"Correct me if I'm wrong sir, but General Koskav was executed two years later, for the rape and murder of a 14 year old girl"

"Lies spread by the liberal-biased media. Koskav was the greatest hero the world has ever seen, until me of course"

_Here we go_ Grovyl thought.

"Grovyl, I called you in here, because of the incident earlier today" The boss flipped back around, smiling an oily smile. "That girl, and that Ninetales escaped"

"Yes sir, but Louise was able to get them back"

"Louise was able to get lucky. I don't trust Louise" The boss growled, "Louise doesn't know who I am, only you and Mr. Rollan know who I am"

"A blessing every day sir"

"I can't have another screw up like that Grovyl. Never bring her into your office, if I chose, I will speak to her personally" The boss sighed, "You're excused"

As Grovyl left, he thought about that man, and how much he hated that racist bastard.

"But as long as he has the envelope" Grovyl muttered, "I have to keep working for him" This depressed the hybrid, as he headed down to the main lab.

* * *

Rose and Ninetails both remembered the machine they had seen in the lab, with the tubes, and the rolling tables. Rose and Ninetails were strapped to tables on opposite ends.

Louise grinned at them, along with several other guards. They knew the fun part was about to happen.

_I can't move_ Rose thought. The machine the tubes were attached to beeped. _Oh shit. _The conveyer belt began to move.

**Authors Note : Oh goody, the next two chapters are good ones. Also, the quote at the beginning had nothing to do with the chapter, I just like it**


	14. XIV

XIV : The Answer

Brian entered the Sacred Valley with a triumphant look on his face, which dropped when he noticed all the pokemon staring at him with curious expressions on their faces. Their were many species of pokemon Brian had never seen, given they had gone underground long before he went into the world, but it bothered him that they were staring.

_Let me be clear_ Mewtwo said, _You may be in, but that ball is still inside of you. If you go any where in the tower with out an escort, it will explode_. Then he was gone.

"Fun guy" Brian mumbled.

"You made it" Cameron cried, as he and the rest of the group maneuvered through the crowd, over to Brian.

"We all thought you could" Natasha said.

"Yeah" Jonah said nervously, "We all thought you could" The group surrounded

Brian on all sides, and began moving forward. As Brian followed behind, all the pokemon parted like the Red Sea, some looking at them suspicious, or mad.

"Uh, guy's, why are they staring at me? And, why do some look mad?" Axle looked back at him.

"Tell me, what do you notice about the crowd? What distinct thing?"

Brian looked. A very small Geodude began to approach them, but was stopped by a very large Golem. A withered Croagunk stared at the group through dead eyes, occasionally holding up his stump of a left arm.

On the other side, an Igglybuff looked at him like he were a great enigma, while a Floazel standing behind it, looked at Brian with a look cold enough to freeze mercury. The Skarmory from earlier looked down at them from a tree, with a look of pure revulsion.

"The younger ones are curious, but the older ones seem to hate me?"

"Yes, now why?"

"…Because, the older ones can remember being driven out of their homes by humans, while the younger ones have never scene a human before?" Axle smirked.

"Correct"

"Wait, you guys are all in human form, no one is staring at you!" Dimitrius let out a barking laugh.

"Kid, it doesn't take much to figure out we ain't what we seem"

"Look on the bright side" Natasha said, "They won't follow us into the tower"

"Tower?" Natasha gestured to the giant structure they were rapidly approaching, that Brian had some how not noticed.

The tower was a giant square structure, completely smooth, and black. It had a giant, looming entrance way, that felt like a mouth, swallowing you whole. As they entered, Brian touched the side. It was some kind of metal.

"What is this?"

"Dunno what kind" Axle said, "But I was once told that its made from the same kind of metal as Registeel" The first room was completely empty, except for a spiral metal stair case in the center, which went up, through the roof.

"Theirs 11 floors" Natasha said, "Our guys on the fourth"

"I've got a question" Brian asked, "You were talking about your friend earlier, but you weren't very happy with him"

"He's a drunk" Natasha growled, "I've dealt with more then enough drunks in my life. I don't need any more"

The second floor revealed a mass of various pokemon on wooden tables, covered in wool blankets, with Chancy and Blissy attending to them.

"Medical floor" Dimitrius said, "It needs to be close to the ground" Brian nodded.

The third floor revealed a series of small, wooden tables, and what looked like a metal bar top in the back.

"Bar" Natasha said.

"A bar? But where do you get alcohol?"

"Once you ferment berries, they become alcohol"

"Wait, pokemon aren't smart enough to make booze"

"Kid, pokemon can understand our language, even though we can't understand theirs. Don't you think they're a bit smarter then you give them credit?" Brian shrugged.

The fourth floor opened up, in the middle of a hallway, with eight doors lightning the sides.

"When ever we're not out looking for other sliders" Axle said, as the climbed off the staircase, "We end up squatting here"

They moved to the door in the back right corner, to the right of the staircase. "This is our guy"

"Who is he?" Brian asked.

"You'll see" Cameron said. Jonah grimaced.

"What"

"He's, sensitive" Before Brian could ask what they meant, Axle knocked once.

One thing that Brian noticed was, instead of a handle, the door had piece of rope tied through where a knob would go, like a pull rope. Which s exactly what it turned out to be, as the door swung open wide to reveal, no one?

"Where is he?" Brian asked. Natasha poked on his shoulder, then pointed down. Brian looked, to see an Espeon standing their, starring up at them.

"This? This is your guy?" Brian cried.

"Brian" They hissed.

"What? Its an Espeon. You expect an Espeon to magically be able to find our friends for you?"

"Well" The Espeon responded, causing Brian to almost fall over, had Axle and Dimitrius not been holding him, "I may not look like much, but I bet I've got a lot better chance to find someone then you do"

Brian just stared, mouth agape, as Max gestured to follow him in.

The room was a completely smooth cube, with a big slab coming out of the right wall, which a wool blanket on it.

Their was a small wooden table, with a few books on it, written in a language other than English. If Brian had looked up, he would have seen a complete map of the world on the ceiling.

Max jumped on the bed, and the others sat on the floor in front of him. Brian could see himself in Max's giant eyes.

"Max, first, we want to introduce you to Brian" Axle said, gesturing. "Brian McKay, this is Max, the 8th member of our team"

"A pleasure" Max said.

"Yes, its all nice and good" Axle turned serious, "But, the second thing we need is much more important. Stephanie and Horatio have been kidnapped" Max's eyes bulged.

"But how?"

"We got stuck in Petalburg city, during a sandstorm. LifeForce was there…"

"Shit, not them! I mean, how? Stephanie's my best friend, and I know supergirl would die before getting captured"

"Well, it didn't work out that way"

"How do you know about LifeForce?" Brian asked.

"I'll tell you later" Max said. He closed his eyes. "Pressed between the pages of my book is a map, grab it, and meet me at the bar in half an hour"

"Why?" Cameron asked.

"If I'm going to deal with LifeForce, I need a drink"

* * *

The seven, along with Max, sat on the floor, around a small table, with a map of the world spread out on it. They had gotten Max a drink, and Brian had gotten one out of curiosity. Their was only one type of alcohol, a burgundy colored liquid, served in small stone bowls.

Right now, they all stared as Max balanced a bowl on top of his lavender paw. He tried to lift it up to his muzzle, but his foreleg didn't go far enough. So, instead, he tried bending down, but every time Max's head went down, his paw went down. Finally, he yelled in frustration, put the bowl on the table, and drank like an animal.

"Am I the only one confused?" Brian asked.

"Yes" they all responded. Brian shrugged, and looked at his bowl.

"It looks like booze" He sniffed it, "It smells like booze" he took a sip, "But this isn't booze"

"Yeah, it is" Natasha said.

"For the most part" Dimitrius began to explain, "With the exception of some fully evolved pokemon, dragon, rock, and ground type, they have a much lower tolerance then humans do" Brian nodded, and turned to Max, who had just finished a second cup.

"Why did you do that thing earlier?" They all groaned.

"Brian, lets find out where the others are first" Axle said, "Besides, I don't think" Max shook his head.

"I'm plenty happy to tell you, Brian" Max said, "It'll help you understand why these clowns need my help" Max settled down, and began his story.

"What do you know about LifeForce?"

"Um, their a big organization, that has no trouble getting a hold of grunts, who kidnapped two of their friends and two of mine, for reason's beyond my comprehension" Max turned angrily to Axle.

"You never bothered to tell him?"

"It never came up!" Max shook his head.

"I'm the reason!"

"You?"

"Yes, me! I'm their mistake!" Upon seeing Brian didn't get it, he shook his head, "This will take awhile. First, I was not always an Espeon"

"I've begun guessing that" Brian said sarcastically.

"I worked for LifeForce, with out knowing it. I was, at the time, unemployed in Hoenn, 10 years ago, well before the war hit us. It had just moved into Johto, and all I thought about was money. Well, out of the blue, I was offered 10,000, if I would take part in a medical experiment! 10,000! I didn't even bother to wonder what was wrong.

"They had me meet at a rented out office space, where they conducted several "survey" questions, did I have any family in the immediate area, was my old job something in the public eye, stuff like that.

"They told me to comeback a week later, and they would begin the study. The next week I came back to the office, and they took me into a back room. I was given a little cup of pills by an asshole with blonde hair, I think his name was Louis. Anyway, I took two of those things, and I passed out cold.

"When I came to, I was in a cement cell, with a security camera on top. Every day they would drug me, and give me injections when I slept. It went on like this for two days.

"Then, on the third day, when I was so disoriented, I couldn't stand up, they came for me. They took me out of my little cell, and lead me to a laboratory that had something like a machine in the center. It had three tables, two on the ends, one in the middle, with conveyer belts on them. At the end of each conveyer belt, was a tube. The tubes on the end wrapped left or right, into what looked like a giant metal cylinder, with a third tube coming out of the center, onto the third table.

"Well, they strapped me to the one on the right, and told me they had the perfect pokemon for me. I didn't understand, until they brought out an Espeon, and strapped it to the table on the left. It was a pathetic thing, it looked malnurited, and I could tell it had been getting the injections also. I hoped it would use an attack, any attack, but it seemed like it couldn't.

"They activated the machine, and we began to roll down the conveyer belt. The machine is fairly easy to turn on, I saw one of them using a pokenav to activate it. Well, we moved down the conveyer belts, and into the tubes. We moved through their, into the central cylinder. Now, what ever happened there, I can't remember, I just remember rolling out the center tube, a minute later.

"Three guys and one woman, all wearing LifeForce uniforms, crowded around me. They unstrapped me, and helped me sit up.

"At first, I was to dizzy to move. I heard one of them say it's a success, I think, and that I was a slider, although I didn't know what that meant. That's when it got strange.

"The pain, the burning pain, I still wake up screaming from it. It felt like some one had peeled all the skin off my body, and dumped me in the ocean. I could feel my bones shifting, and as I screamed, they did nothing, other then say it wasn't a success. My bones began to change, and I got shorter. My ears felt like some one was yanking them to the top of my head, and they got longer. I kept hoping I was wrong, until I felt my tail growing out. When I felt it split at the end, I knew I was right. The gem hurt the most of all, as it ripped through my skin. Finally, the fur covered my body, as my hands and feet turned into paws, and I was an Espeon, sitting in human clothing.

"They couldn't figure what happened. Apparently, I was supposed to be able to switch back and forth, from human to pokemon, but I was stuck. I could only speak the Espeon language, you can't imagine how long it took me to re-learn English. Then to top it off, all the powers of an Espeon I had, but I couldn't use them.

"My brain was a control panel, and some asshole was randomly pressing buttons. I could never use an attack, still can't, but one time, suddenly, I used psychic! They were testing my heart rate, suddenly, one of the grunts begins to glow, and then he slammed against the wall!

"Well, this wasn't enough to save me"

"Which is where we come in" Axle said.

"Right"

"Psychic wasn't the only thing happening with out Max's knowledge. Every night, he begged for help in his head, I guess you were begging God. Well, instead of going to God, his begging went to us, the entire team minus Cameron and Jonah. We each heard his voice in our heads, and we even knew where he was." Axle stopped, tried to pour a drink, only to find the jar empty, before continuing.

"We figure it was someone who needed help, and that's the second rule, so, rather blindly, we followed the pull of Max, all the way to a base of operations in Meteor Falls. These guys had dug the cavern out more, nearly making it collapse, and built a whole little fort there. Well, to cut the story short"

"To late"

"We got in, kicked ass, and got Max out. Before we left, Max had us destroy the machine, which we did. Not sure what to do with him, we took him here"

"And I have never left. To bad, I'm getting sick of this place"

"You still haven't explained how you can help!"

"Yes, yes, right. Well, there is one thing the LifeForce bastards gave me, that I can't explain" Max laughed. "I can tell you where any slider in the world is, with out any information"

"How?"

"I don't know, its like I can sense them. Well, their shields may block out Natasha, but they don't block out me"

"Which is why we need your help" Axle said, butting in. "We've got the map laid out, find Stephanie and Horatio"

"Ah, the fun part" Max stood up, and held his lavender paw over the map. "I feel something" His paw slowly moved, to the Johto region, moving upwards, until it dropped on the Lake of Rage "There. They're at the bottom of the Lack of Rage" Max said. Brian looked at the small picture of the lake.

"We can't leave immediately" Axle said. "We need to prepare"

"Can we spare any time?"  
"If their using Stephanie and Horatio to correct their machine, they won't get rid of them. They need time to work. Lets take six days, to train, and to formulate a plan. Also, if we attack now, they will be expecting that. These guys are so full of it, it won't take long for them to get a false sense of security. We wait, agreed?"

"Agreed" They said solemnly. Brian turned to Max.

"My girlfriend, Rose, was taken also"

"Is she a slider?"

"Uh, no. Since you know what these guys, what might they do to her?"

"Well, if Rose serves no purpose, then they will kill her" Brian felt tears sting his eyes. Its going to be a long six days.


	15. XV

XV : The Experiment

_"Until Genesis chapter 11, we had no war" – Reverend Godless_

Rose had never been afraid of tight spaces before, but she was weeping with fear, as her body moved up the tube. It was an all encompassing darkness that greeted her, her own cylindrical coffin. She couldn't speak, couldn't move, could do nothing but wait with fear. Grovyl and Louise were here, watching with glee, Louise running the machine on a pokenav.

Ninetails wasn't having much luck either, on the other side of the room. They had put a gag in her mouth, even though Ninetails knew she couldn't even make smoke come out, much less fire. She lay on her side, her legs and tails tied together. _If I ever get free, I'm going to kill those bastards. Your dead Grovyl, I swear it._

Rose and Ninetails both felt them selves moving sideways, knowing they were entering the big metal chamber, all though, for what purposes was beyond both of them.

"They need to sleep for this part" Grovyl said. Louise nodded.

"Dispense the sleeping gas"

_Oh God, gas…_

_

* * *

_

Where am I, I can't see a thing?

_Rose?_

_Whose there?_

_Rose, its me, Ninetails._

_Ninetails?_

_Yeah. I can't see you. I can't see a thing._

_Can you move any?_

_No, I can't move an inch. What are they doing to us?_

_I, I don't know. I just wish I knew how long we had to wait. God, how did I get here?_

_Do you mean, in the machine?_

_No, I mean, with you and Brian. My life wasn't supposed to end up like this. I don't even know how it was supposed to end up!_

_…Do you want to talk about it?_

_Yes, yes I do_

**

* * *

**

Rose's POV

I was born into a very rich family. I don't mean kinda wealthy, I mean enough money to bribe God to give him a sunny day. When the war broke out, my father was on the side of the humans, to the point that he had his guards shoot any pokemon or hybrid on sight.

We lived in a mansion in Kanto, in the remains of the Viridian forest. My parents had a cement wall put up around the place, and fake grass and trees planted on the front yard. It looked creepy on the out side, but it was worse on the inside, because I saw it for what it was, a prison.

We had armed guards patrolling every inch of the grounds, which were very small. My father refused to have large grounds, believing it was easier for one of those "freaks" to get in.

Well, I saw the house as a prison, but I still went along with my fathers insane ideas. Even dating, and becoming engaged to the child of some one father was associates with.

His name was Benjamin. He had all the personality of a piece of wood, and the looks of a turd. His voice sounded like running metal through a garbage disposal, and he had this habit of holding your shoulder when he talked, I still don't know why.

Well, he may have been ugly and stupid, but for all his faults, he was still a nice person. I never wanted him to get hurt, but life doesn't work that way.

Now, one of the big reason's for the increase in hybrids in Kanto at that time was that, the water supply for Celadon City had been contaminated with Ditto DNA. Becoming a hybrid with Ditto DNA is like playing Russian Roulette, you never knew what was coming down the barrel. Most of Celadon City found their lives drastically altered over night. Celadon city had been a huge victory for the human army, and now it was filled with hybrids.

Now, at the time, my father and his friends thought the outbreak was an act of terrorism. As it would later on come out, a Ditto hybrid, who worked at the reservoir, had been beaten up there, and his blood contaminated the water. If anything, the group my father supported was responsible for the outbreak. And, as bad as it was in Celadon, nobody knew what would happen next.

The reservoir was huge, and that year we had a dire heat wave. Now, as every one knows, water evaporates in heat, and becomes rain clouds. What every one didn't realize was these were infected rain clouds.

Soon, their were outbreaks, of what the news called Hybridism, all over Kanto. It didn't affect every one, but it did effect 90 of the population. It's the reason the hybrids control Kanto. It was during one of these storms, my life changed.

My father and Benjamin's father were in his study, maybe discussing ways to be bigger assholes, I don't know. Well, Benjamin wasn't there. I was sitting in our living room, near the front door, contemplating suicide, when I heard a knock.

I opened the door, to find a man with his head hunched over in a rain coat. Now, a rain coat will not protect you from the rain. My father had his guards wear nuclear safety suits. I knew something was wrong.

I got a look at who was in the coat, and it was Benjamin. I couldn't see his face well, just the outline. I invited him in, and he asked to see me in my room. We headed up their, and he gave me a big surprise.

Benjamin told me his car had stalled coming to the house, so he had to get out and walk. This was before the rains started. Benjamin got out of his car, and began the walk to my house, and he brought his rain coat, because he saw clouds.

As Benjamin told me, it was a torrential down pour, with the wind blowing so hard, it knocked his coat off, soaking him to the bone.

It was at this point in time, he revealed his body to me. At first, I thought some one had painted his skin red, but I quickly realized I was wrong. The muzzle and claws were a tip off, but the tail with the flame at the end gave it away. Benjamin had become a Charmeleon hybrid.

I tried to calm him down, but Benjamin began screaming. When he screamed, a jet of fire came out, and he set the one of the walls of my room on fire. Then I started screaming, which was when my and Benjamin's father stormed in.

Ben's father looked at him, and said, "Benjamin?"

When Ben nodded, and they said to tell them what happened, they told us to go to the study. We went down their, my father poured us drinks, Ben's father went over to my father's desk, and pulled out something, though we couldn't see what.

Ben told them the story, which was when things went bad. His father said he understood, turned to face us, revealing he was holding a hand gun my father kept for protection. He raised it, and shot Benjamin in between the eyes. Then the two laughed about it.

My room was on fire, they had just committed murder, and they were laughing. I almost threw up. I knew I couldn't take it, didn't know where I was going to go, I just left.

I ran out the door, and out of the gate, and ran. The next few weeks are a blank, I just know no one tried to stop me. Some how, I ended up in Johto of all places, I don't know how. I just woke up one morning in Goldenrod City.

This is the point from which I remember. The armies were fighting in Hoenn at, and the Magnet train was used to get human refugees from Kanto into Johto. Goldenrod had been divided into two sections, upper Goldenrod, which was virtually abandoned, and lower Goldenrod, where the people lived. I woke up outside of the Magnet train building, in upper Goldenrod, very, very confused.

I was walking through the remains of the radio station, when I heard voices. I believe you know what happened next. You and Brian were there, looking for supplies.

Upon seeing Brian and you, the stress from the weeks of running caught up with me, and I passed out. When I woke up, you and Brian were making sure I was okay, and if I needed any thing, and if I had a place to stay. That was two years ago.

I had always expected to grow up to be a snotty aristocrat, but you know, I don't mind any of the time I have spent with you guys. I was broken, and you helped carry me.

**

* * *

**

General POV

_…Wow, I never knew Rose_

_No one does, I haven't told Brian about my past, and I doubt I ever will._

_We all have secret pain Rose, it helps to share._

_I suppose I agree…I got a question._

_Okay._

_What's your name?_

_You know, its Ninetails._

_No, I mean, what were you named at birth._

_I, I don't understand._

_I doubt that when you were a Vulpix, your parents named you Ninetails._

_…I guess not. That's just a rather long story._

_Trust me, we have all the time in the world._

_Alright. But, this is something I haven't told any one._

_Considering you can't speak English, this isn't shocking._

_Look, if your going to be a smartass_

_No, no. We are sharing, and I want to hear._

_Okay, well, this happened along time ago, before I met Brian_

* * *

Mew was in the main laboratory, as Grovyl and Louise watched the machine. It floated, invisible. _I can't help either of them, this is the way it has to be. But if I don't do something, Rose won't stand a chance._

Still invisible, Mew put its paws on the center metal chamber, allowing its energy to flow through it. _That might just work. It'll definitely give the two a fighting chance._

**

* * *

**

Ninetails POV

Now, I met Brian three years ago, but I've been alive for about 200, give or take. Also, your right, I did have a name. In my culture, names are a very important part of who you are, those who didn't have one were out casts.

Mine was Akea. It means champion in English. What most people never think of, is that a name tells who you are. Mine said I was the champion of my clan, and the leader of the Hoenn warrior clan of Ninetales.

Every region of the world has a clan of Ninetales, like the Johto maverick clan, or the Orre ability clan. The name shows what the clan specializes in, and how they decide their leader. A leader is never born, a leader has to fight for the right, and in mine, you battle for the right. Well, I was the champion, and one of the youngest of all time.

Our clan was located within Mt. Pyre, never seen by humans, only accessible by tunnels hidden through out the mountain. It was here that I lived, with my clan I loved. Here, I found a mate, Rommel. His name meant guide, and I loved him. We had a daughter, Omalia, whose name meant light-bringer.

The title of leader was little more then a joke, unless we were in battle. When not fighting, I only had one other duty. I was to perform what was called, the sacred purification ritual, which I thought was stupid then and I think is stupid now.

I was supposed to take a part of a fire stone, to the top of the mountain. It was about 1/16 of a fire stone, little more then a large pebble. Supposedly, it was part of the first one, that brought the first Ninetales into existence, and while other fire stones could be used one time, this one could be use repeatedly. The ritual was, we brought the stone and a small bowl of water. We place them on top of the mountain, we place the stone in the bowl, the water actually ignites, and then we leave.

I was allowed to take one with me, and I took Rommel. We had to leave at midnight, for it had to be done in the dead of night for reasons beyond my comprehension. As we ascended the mountain, I heard the wrrrrrr of helicopter blades in the darkness, but I ignored them. When we got to the top, and I dropped the piece of fire stone in, it caused a fire ball, which briefly lit up the night. Helicopters were every where.

I fired flames with out thinking, at any helicopter I thought I could hit. The flew over us, machine gun's attached to them, shooting up the mountain. Rommel and I, we couldn't get further down the mountain, the guns fired not at the top, but around. We did manage to hit one helicopter, right as they turned their attention on us.

Their were probably twenty of them, all with guns turned on us. They had shot up the mountain with stone piercing bullets, which had caused something they didn't expect. The mountain collapsed, knocking me and Rommel into the ocean.

As I would later find out, a hybrid scout had discovered one of our tunnels, and reported it to his commanders. They thought the humans had burrowed into Mt. Pyre, and were planning on trying to take their base in Lillycove. So they destroyed the mountain, and killed my daughter.

I have only cried twice in my life, and as we fell to the ocean, I wept bitterly.

Rommel and I were knocked out, so the water caused us no pain. I still do not understand how we lived, but when we woke up, we were on the northern shore. We couldn't head to Lillycove, all pokemon not recognized were executed on sight. So instead, we headed to Fortree city, thinking the armies had passed it over. We were wrong, they had just arrived.

Route 120 should have told us. It had been reduced to dessert, all of the plants destroyed, or burned. We couldn't travel by day, the sun was so extreme, that it dehydrated us, so we had to travel by night. Ironic, a fire type that couldn't take the heat.

A common misconception about fire type pokemon is that they don't need water. We do, we can just go longer with out it. When we arrived at Fortree, Rommel and I had been traveling for five weeks. We were near death.

Now, as you know, the battle of Fortree still is known as one of the worst in the war. A "victory" for the humans, which ended when the hybrids burned the city to the ground, after six thousand people were killed. When Rommel and I arrived, the city was ashes, the people dead, and the armies moved on.

We searched the wreckage, to find nothing. We were desperate, we needed water and food. That night, it lightly drizzled rain, and Rommel and I used some broken cups and glasses to gather water. But, it was barely a drizzle, and all the water we collected could only help one.

I still remember Rommel grin, and tell me to drink. That he could go longer then me, that he would last. That morning, we went to sleep, that night, Rommel never woke up.

I cried that night, knowing I couldn't save him. I cried dry tears, with no moister in my body. I couldn't even bury him, instead I left his body in the ruins of a collapsed

house, before leaving.

I went down 119, a clone of 120. The armies had unexpectedly jumped to Lillycove, but the destruction was still extreme. I had no water, and no one to go to, but I walked all night, covering over 40 miles, more then we had ever been able to cover before. Finally, when the sun was coming up, I heard something behind me. I turned,

only to see a dark blur, before passing out.

The next thing I remember was some one had a water bottle in my mouth, and water rushing down my throat. I was in paradise.

I opened my eyes, to find my self on someone's lap. As I would later learn, it was Brian. All I noticed at the time was he was human, and I hated him.

I jumped away from him, and tried to use ember. Smoke came out. He just smiled, and said he recognized some one who had lost every thing.

He had gone to Fortree to scavenge the city. Finding nothing, he passed over, and decided to head to Mauville. Upon finding me, he said he had discovered I was still alive, and assumed dehydration was what had nearly killed me. He then told me, after going to Mauville, he was going to Slateport, the last people still running a shuttle between Hoenn and Johto. He asked if I wanted to come along.

I went with Brian, but as I did, I thought over the rules of my clan, and the significance of a name. I erased my name, because I was no longer champion. Then, I changed the spelling of it, to a-i-l-s as opposed to a-l-e-s, because I no longer considered my self a member of my own species.

**

* * *

**

General POV

_You had a daughter?_

_Its, its something I don't like to talk about._

_Okay, I understand. I don't understand one thing, how is it Brian happened to discover both of us, that he just happened to be in Goldenrod, when I was there._

…_Rose, I don't know, I think something's happening._

_I know, I feel it. I think we're moving down the center tube._

_No Rose, I mean, I feel nothing, something's wrong._

_Ninetails, I don't get it, I can't hear you! Ninetails?_

* * *

Grovyl and Louise watched the center table, as human legs poked out of the tube. Slowly, Rose Quinton came out, unharmed. Ninetails though, was gone.

"Wake her" Louise nodded, and smacked Rose.

"Aughh, what the fuck" Rose looked around horrified. She saw Grovyl. "What have you done to Ninetails" She screamed, jumping at him.

Grovyl stepped back, and Rose hit the floor. She pulled her self up, and glared at him.

"Oh Rose" Julius said, "If you want to see Ninetails, just think of her, and she'll be there"

Rose attempted to process this information, as she began to glow.

"What the fuck?" It wasn't painful, rather, a pleasant tingling. The glow eventually faded, leaving Rose dizzy. She stared down at her hands.

A pair of white gold colored paws stared back. This got a horrified gasp out of Rose. She turned to look at her back, to see it fur covered, and with nine tails above her bottom.

Louise grinned, and held out a small mirror, for Rose to look into. And the mirror didn't lie.

Rose and Ninetails were one in the same, and Rose was now a slider.


	16. XVI

* * *

XVI : The Training

As the sun crept across the morning sky, over the sacred valley, six people and one Espeon woke.

* * *

Max awoke the same way he had every morning, for the last ten years, with a loud groan and a plea that someone would kill him. Max was a recovering alcoholic, which meant he was perpetually recovering from the night before.

"Fuckin hell" Max mumbled, jumping down from his steel slab bed, "This can't be my life" He said, as he pulled on the tug rope to open his door.

* * *

Cameron hadn't slept the night before. Rather, in his room, he had his laptop, whose battery he powered through his own Raichu energy. He had used his laptop to create a simulation of what they believed the LifeForce base would look like, based on Max's crude descriptions, and tried to figure out the best attack strategy.

"Okay, I've review over 600 simulations, and the only one that doesn't result in all of us getting killed is a full frontal assault" Cameron sighed, and flipped his laptop shut. "Which fun news do I tell the group first, that the full frontal assault is the only sim that doesn't kill all of us, or that it only leaves one of us alive? Fun fun fun"

* * *

Jonah stared at the ceiling, loading pink pokeblocks into his pokeblock case, ready to face the day. The sides of his face were covered dried tears, something he would have to wipe off if he was going to be seen by others.

* * *

"781-782-783" Dimitrius had installed a metal bar to his ceiling, to do pull ups with. Every day, he did one thousand, believing that the only thing that could truly defeat him, was his human body.

"I've got to be without fail" Dimitrius mumbled, "784-785-786"

* * *

Brian woke for the first time in a year, with out Rose in his arms. It left him cold and empty, not helped by the fact he was in a strange room, in a strange tower, in a place that didn't appear on any maps.

He was squatting in Horatio's room, which was bare except for a good number of religious artifacts. This is what convinced him to do something he hadn't done, since he was a small child.

Brian prayed. He wasn't sure who to, but he simply begged the silence for Rose and Ninetails return.

* * *

In Axle's room, two people lay together on his slab bed, a blanket on top of them. Natasha stared at the ceiling, her head on Axle's chest, while he gently stroked her purple hair.

"What are you thinking?" She asked.

"Should we be having sex, considering we don't have birth control?"

"Eh" Natasha snuggled further into Axle. "The others know we're sleeping together"

"Correct"

"Do they know we're in love?"

"If I remember, it was your rule that they don't find out, because it might compromise us, and they wouldn't take us seriously"

"I know, but after seeing Brian's reaction to the girl getting kidnapped, it made me wonder, what happens if you die?" Axle laughed.

"I'm not going to die any time soon okay"

"But"

"Hey, listen to me. Neither of us are going to die. When the war ends, we're going to get married. After that, we're going to find some where to live, and we're going to live a normal, quiet life"

"A quiet life? Is that what we really want?"

"After ten years of fighting an enemy with out a head to cut off, that's exactly what I want"

* * *

Brian had been told he would be eating every meal at the bar, with the others. As he attempted not to stumble down the metal spiral staircase, he found them all sitting around one of the small tables, only eating fruit. As Brian sat down, he was gripping his back.

"What's the matter with you?"

"I slept on a steel slab. Around two a.m., my back started to spasm. If I bend over, my spine will snap like a toothpick"

"So?" Cameron asked.

"So, how did you learn to sleep on metal slabs? And why are we only eating fruit?"

"All the pokemon here have to only eat fruit, due to their numbers being so low. As a sign of good faith, we do the same"

"Well, that make's since" Brian said, looking at the large green fruit thing that was to be his breakfast. One bite revealed it to be spicy enough to dry up all moister in his body.

"Alright, you said we were going to be doing training today" Brian desperately needed water. Their were to bottle's on the table, and Brian grabbed the water one and chugged. All of the others stared.

"You're an odd little person" Max said.

"Bite me. Like I was saying, what am I supposed to do as training?"

"Kid, that's very simple"

* * *

Above the living quarters for the sliders, were a series of floors for training, so pokemon could harness their abilities to their fullest potential. Each one, except the electrical one, was a labyrinth style course, with lots of booby traps and moving/attacking targets. These courses were not designed for humans, which is exactly what Brian realized 10 min after attempting the course on the fifth floor.

This was a training course, designed to test the abilities of grass/bug/poison types. Brian lasted 30 seconds, before being hit by a swinging log.

Now, he sat on a medical table, as a Chansey wrapped bandages on his shoulder. It had been dislocated, but they were able to pop it back into place.

"Ow ow ow ow" Brian cried. Max, who had come along as a translator (And had been told to stay with Brian to make sure he didn't kill himself), shook his head, while Chansey considered slapping him.

"Chansey chan chansey" (Tell your friend to stop complaining, his injury isn't that bad! His moaning is hurting me more then the bandages)

"Brian" Max said, "Shut up"

"But it hurts!"

"Chansey" (Not as much as its going to)

* * *

A few minutes later, the two of them were back the bar, Brian sitting their, sulking into his cup of whatever. Max had gotten a full bottle, which was now nearly empty, despite Brian only having one untouched bowl.

"Thirty seconds, incredible" Brian muttered.

"Well man, it could have been worse" Max said.

"Yeah, I guess. I understand how you feel though" Brian looked at the ceiling, "In two days, we're going to storm an underwater base, and I can't do anything. I once had a home made knife, but I left it in that damn bag in Petalburg"

"I understand man. If anybody knows about feeling powerless, its me" Max shrugged, "Besides, I'm sure the others are also having trouble"

"Yeah, right" It was at this moment, Axle came down from the stairs, and walked over to them.

"Welcome to the island of misfit toys" Max cried. Axle sat down with them, noticing the jar of alcohol.

"Its nice to know this place won't have to much liquor to deal with" Axle said, "I was worried we were going to have to drink extra, but you've got it under control"

"What do you want Axle?" Brian asked.

"I thought you were going to try one of the course, but you quit after 30 seconds" He threw his hands in the air, "What happened?"

"I got hit, with a log" Brian cried, pulling his shirt down to reveal bandages, "I knocked my shoulder out of the socket!"

"So what?" Axle asked. "You get up, and do it again"

"Um, if you didn't notice, I'm not a slider, I'm human"

"I manage to do the courses"

"You're a Dragonite!" Axle shook his head.

"I've done every course as both a human, and a Dragonite" Max laughed.

"Fuckin hard core" Axle ignored him, thinking _Its 11 a.m. and he's piss ass drunk_.

"We have no fucking idea what will be waiting for us, so we've got to be prepared for anything. All of us have both our pokemon and human forms ready" Brian nodded.

"I suppose that makes sense"

"Every one has something they can use to their advantage" Axle looked at every one around him. "Our table's in the middle, look around the room"

The bar was sparsely filled. At one table, a Typhlosion and an Aggron were knocking back drinks from a much darker, stronger liquid, made from Liechi berries. The bartender was a Dusclops, who didn't have any one coming for drinks. At the table directly behind Brian, Max, and Axle, a Poliwrath sat by its self, not drinking, seeming to be thinking. Finally, in a table in a back corner, a Bayleaf and a Gloom were talking.

"Now, pick one pokemon, and tell me, how could you beat them in human form?" Max jumped up.

"Dude, pick the Poliwrath" He said it so loud, it looked up.

"Poliwarth?" It asked.

"Nothing, nothing" Axle said, "Go back to your drink" He turned to Max, and swatted him.

"You stupid idiot, think before you speak" Axle grabbed the alcohol, "And no more drinks"

"I need it! Its my God"

"Booze is not a religion" Axle swatted him again, as Max pawed for the bottle and bowl, "Besides, you're an alcoholic! You need to drink less, not more"

"Wha do you know?" Max grumbled, sitting back down. Axle sighed, and turned back to Brian, who was facing the Typhlosion and Aggron.

Brian hadn't noticed the altercation. His eyes were darting around the bar, then back to the Typhlosion, trying to remember what he had read about them in books.

_If its rage peaks, it becomes so hot, any thing its quills touch goes up in flames_. The Typhlosion and the Argon now both noticed him.

"I think I know how to beat him" Brian said, pointing, unknowingly angering the drunk Typhlosion, who stood up. Axle also didn't notice, more curios in Brian's strategy.

"Alright, how? Now, remember, he has all these fire attacks, he's faster then you, and he will last longer then you" The Typhlosion chose this moment to make his presence known, by lifting their table off the ground, and smashing it to dust. Max, Brian, and Axle all looked up, Axle the only one not looking worried.

**Note, although Brian doesn't understand them, I will right all the pokemon speech in English, as its easier for me**

Once the table broke, the Dusclops leapt over the bar, and rushed the Typhlosion, but the Argon gabbed it. Usually, this wouldn't matter, but before Dusclops could get out of the way, Aggron whacked it on the head hard enough to render it unconscious.

Bayleaf and Gloom both had weary looks, but did nothing. Poliwrath just stared into space. Typhlosion got with in an inch of Brian's face. Brian was shaking in anxiety.

"Why were you talking about me?"

"What?" Axle translated. "Oh, that? That was nothing?"

"You said you could beat me!" Translated.

"Oh, I was obviously wrong" Max, who had drank the rest of the jar after Axle had dropped it, was to drunk to realize what he was saying.

"Not only does Brian know he can take you" Max slurred, "But he knows your to much of a fag to land a punch" It was at this moment, Brian grabbed the empty jar, and smashed it on Max's head to shut him up, but the damage was done.

"Okay, that's it" Typhlosion yelled.

"Don't do something stupid" Aggron said, but Typhlosion ignored him, in favor of lifting Brian off the ground. All of his quills were lit up, and he was pissed.

"I think I'll roast you right now" The sweat, mixed with piss, puddle under Brian, as Typhlosion prepared to unleash a flame-thrower. But then, Brian felt himself being lifted up further. A quick turn of the head revealed Axle, in Dragonite from, holding Typhlosion by his thick neck.

"You really want to risk it?"

"So what, you can do this as a Dragonite, if you were a human" Axle shiffted back to human form, and still held the Typholosion by the neck. Brian hit the ground, with a thud. Axle put Typhlosion down slowly. He turned to Brian.

"Okay, since you think you can beat a pokemon, lets see you fight like one. I challenge you to a battle, in one hour, at the dessert slab, do you except." Axle translated.

Brian just sat there, dumbstruck. "Okay, lets think careful about this"

"He excepts" Axle said. Brian's jaw hit the ground, as Typhlosion and Aggron left. Brian picked his jaw up, and turned to the confident Axle.

"What the fuck did you just do to me?"

"I believe live experience is better then any training course" Brian nodded.

"You know, when I picked Typhlosion, I was joking, right?"

"I know"

"You do also know, I can't replace my spine, when he rips it out and jumps rope with it, right?"

"You know, that might be a problem, but don't think about the negative. Brian, you've faced death twice in 24 hours. What's one more time?" The logic of this man made Brian want to rip his hair out.

"Okay, since I have to fight, lets think solutions. How drunk was that Typhlosion?"

"On a scale of one to Max, I'd say he was about Boris Yeltsin"

"Alright" Brian picked up the bottom of the bottle he broke on Max's head. "Would you say that the fire vent things on his neck are about this size?"

"Maybe a little larger, but somewhere around that size" Brian nodded.

"Alright, I have an idea. I need two bottle's, one with Liechi liquor and one empty. Also, I need to meet with all the sliders"

* * *

In the desert section, in the middle, theirs a giant stone slab, where pokemon tend to spar with one another. This was the setting of Brian and Typhlosions' battle.

Typhlosion sat at one end, still drunk. Aggron was beside him, and the two were trying to stare down Brian. It didn't work, because Brian had his back to them, and was talking to the sliders.

"Okay, now, when I gesture, you guys know what to do?" Brian had two jars tied around his waist with a vine.

"Yeah, yeah" Cameron said, "We're not stupid"

"Brian, do you think this will work?" Natasha asked, "It seems kind of stupid"

"I think it'll work" Axle said.

"Me two" Dimitrius said.

"It will" Brian responded. "Alcohol is the only thing universal in humans, hybrids, and pokemon. If he reacts the way a human would in his situation, I've won" Max came bounding over.

"Okay, I've got a referee" He said.

"And what fool did you sucker into this job?" Jonah asked.

"A friend of mine, Della" A Sandslash, and female one, followed behind Max.

"Hey darlin" She said to Max, causing him to blush through his fur.

"Darlin?" All the sliders but Brian asked.

"Okay, she's a lot more then a friend" Jonah looked at the Sandslash.

"Dude, are you banging that?"

"Um, well no, but I'm trying"

"…Nice" Brian wasn't sure what was going on, and why every one but Jonah and Max had looks of disgust on their face, but he could think about that later, now he needed to focus on winning.

"Well, I'm ready"

"Good luck" Natasha said.

"Your gonna need it" Jonah muttered. Axle didn't say a thing. Brian turned, and walked onto the slab, as Aggron walked off.

"The best of luck" Brian called. Typhlosion growled. A crowd had come to watch Brian get his ass handed to him. As he stared at destiny, Brian's only thought was, I'm gonna die.

Della walked to the center outside of the slab. She held up one clawed hand in Typhlosions' direction.

"Ready" he growled. She held up one at Brian.

"Ready" _Lets win this one for Rose and Ninetails._ She looked at the two, and dropped her claws.

_Go_


	17. XVII

XVII : The Collar 

Rose passed out a few seconds later, and she was dragged back to her cell. That night, she lay unconscious on the floor, dreaming of what was to come. What torture could they inflict upon her?

When Rose opened her eyes the next morning, she wasn't even sure it was the next morning. With no windows, the cell was dark, and cold. It was the grave, and her death only a matter of time. Then, the light snapped on, and the door buzzed open.

Louise and another grunt came in, the grunt carrying a metal collar. It had two metal prongs on the inside, like ones you find on a taser.

"Hello Red" He said in a snotty voice. Rose looked at them, exhausted.

"Louis, why the fuck do you call me that? My hair is brown, not red, brown. Your stupid nickname makes no sense"

"What color is a rose? Its red, the same as your blood"

"Roses come in multiple col – oh I give up you stupid fuck"

"Okay, good" Louise turned to the guard, and snapped his fingers. "Secure the collar"

The grunt snapped the collar around Rose's neck. Rose fingered the collar. It wasn't painful, but it was very far from pleasant.

"What the fuck is this?" Louise smiled, and pulled out a small remote, with a

dial on it, and two buttons. He turned the dial.

The collar activated, sending electricity through Rose's body. It hurt, like someone had clamped jumper cables to her nipples. Rose tried to scream, but no sound would come out. Then, it began to happen.

Rose looked, and saw her hands and feet reform into paws. Unlike when she did it the first time, she didn't glow, and she felt every painful second.

Rose felt her Ninetails began to sprout, and grow to their full length. Her face grew into a muzzle, as her ears changed, and her stance became that of a quadruped. In a second, Rose was in her Nintales form, but in her dirt-rag dress. She then felt tear appear, as the shocking stopped.

"You like it?" Louise asked, holding up the remote. "As you know, the shield that surrounds the base traps all sliders in human form. Now, yesterday, we turned it off, to make sure you could change. When we discovered you could, it came time for that baby.

"Think of it as your own on/off switch. With the remote, I can turn you into a Ninetails with all power, with no power, or I can leave you human. You see, we discovered a while ago that one of your kind can be forced to change into their pokemon form, through electrical impulses sent directly into your brain. Their not a thing you can do, your our puppet, we pull your strings, you dance" Rose turned her red eye's directly at him. She then began to speak in a calm voice.

"I want you to know, right now, I'm going to kill you. When I get this fucker off, I'll rip out your throat, then eat it. Then, I'll find any one who is related to you, and kill them. Then, I'll kill all of your friends, finally wiping all proof of your existence out" Louise gulped.

"Well, you can't do it today. We're here to take you to testing"

**Speed Testing**

As Rose learned, the collar was a lot like a shock collar, in that, it double as a shock collar. One of the buttons on the remote sent an electric shock through her body, so strong, it froze her muscles. Rose learned this the hard way, when she tried to fry the remote with her flame-thrower. Before she could open her mouth, the thing buzzed, and all her nerve endings were set on fire.

Louise and the grunt had lead her to a different laboratory, this one holding several machines. A water tank, a metal cylinder with a stick coming out of the top and a red ball on top of the stick, a treadmill, a heart-rate monitor, several computers, and video equipment. Behind the video equipment were two chairs, that Rose guessed were for Louise and grunt.

The grunt put Rose on the treadmill, and attached several wires to monitor her hear rate, and her temperature. Louise stooped down, and looked her in the eye.

"This is speed and endurance training. We want to see how fast you can run. The machine will adjust to your body. Once you reach what we believe to be your fastest speed, we expect you to stay at it until we say so. If you don't, you will be shocked" Louise nodded to the grunt, who activated the machine. The treadmill began moving slowly, and Rose began walking slowly. The two sat down behind the video equipment.

Now, a natural-born Ninetales, who has been alive for over 500 years, can run faster then most pokemon, at speeds of nearly 100 mph. Rose was a natural born human. She wasn't 50 years old, and hadn't developed the special skills needed. Hell, Rose couldn't even walk on four legs.

As Rose slipped off the treadmill, to receive a shock, Louise stood up angrily.

"What the fuck is the matter with you? You were able to bring out fire easily, but you can't run?"

"Fire just came naturally" Louise scowled.

"Starting up again" Rose was able to get up to 3 whole miles per hour, before she slipped and fell. Shock.

It was two hours until Rose reached 20 mph, and was able to remain consistent. Even then, she was fighting against her own body, begging her self don't slip.

"Alright, 22 mph" Louise said, as the machine began to slow. Rose collapsed, only to get shocked.

"What the fuck was that fucking for?" Rose screamed.

"Slouching"

**Heat Testing**

They lead Rose over to the metal cylinder, with the ball sticking out of it.

"This one is simple. You fire a flame-thrower at the ball, we record how long, and how hot it goes" Rose nodded, begrudgingly. She then notice the remote, sitting on Louise's empty seat. Louise also noticed it.

"I know what your thinking, but it wont work. We have that collar specially designed. If you destroy the remote, it will explode"

"You know, that might not be the end of the world" But Rose turned to the ball. Louise ran over to the video equipment, and the grunt sat down beside him, picking up the remote.

"Begin" Rose opened her mouth, and unleashed a flame-thrower on the ball. "Ninetales are supposed to be able to breathe fire at over 2000 degrees when using overheat. Lets see how well you can do"

Rose felt her self heating up quickly, like her insides were melting. She continued on the ball, but it was no use. She coughed, then fell over.

"300 degree's? Pathetic" Rose turned her head towards him.

"Fuck you. If you want it better, you come over, and do it" Louise suddenly grinned a disturbing grin.

"Now its time for my favorite test. Water Endurance test"

**Water Test**

Rose was finally lead to the water tank. Louise stooped beside her, and grinned.

"Now, this ones even simpler. Step one, we dump you in the tank. Their is no step two"

"Fuck that" Rose cried, leaping away. The collar buzzed, and she went down.

Rose felt the grunt lift her up, and carry her. It was almost peaceful, until her body hit the water.

Agony. Agony greater then any thing Rose had ever felt. The water was cooling off her body fast, and she had gone in on her side, giving her barely enough room to move.

Rose felt her head sink under the water. She tried to squirm, but it was no good. She couldn't even flip over.

_Death is coming for me. I get to die a Ninetales. I die a pokemon, in a fish tank. I think, if I listen, I can hear God laughing._ Rose hit the bottom of the tank, as the air seeped out of her lungs.

"Uh, boss, she doesn't look so good"

"I don't care, keep filming"

"Man, she ain't breathing" Louise glared at the grunt.

"We stop when I say we stop" But even the grunt knew Louise was nervous, as he looked back at the tank. The Ninetales lay at the bottom, not moving, not breathing. A single air bubble escape her lips.

"All right, get her out" Louise yelled. He and the grunt ran over, and fished her out. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide.

_Gotcha_ "Ninetales" Rose cried, biting the grunt in the neck. The grunt slipped back, with his hand to his neck, blood seeping out. Rose turned to Louise, who was still holding her over the edge of the tank.

"Oh shit" He dropped Rose, and leapt for the remote. Rose prepared a fire blast, right as Louise reached the remote. They fired at the same time.

Louise was able to leap out of the way, as the fire blast left an asterisk shaped burn on the wall. Rose how ever, was not so lucky.

The wet collar, and her wet fur, sent the electricity through her body, 10 times stronger. Rose yipped, and fell into the tank, loosing consciousness.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"ugh, what happened" Rose muttered, as she woke up in her cell. She looked around, with a confused look on her face.

"I don't get it. I thought they just dumped me in a tank?" Unfortunately, this was all she thought, as Rose was still exhausted, so she quickly fell asleep. While she slept, or cell opened up, and Louise came in. He had made sure the security cameras were off.

Slowly, he parted her legs, before unbuckling his pants and letting them pool around his ankles.

"I know you've wanted this bitch" Louise whispered, breathing heavily, "So lets get started" He then spent the next twenty minutes, doing the most horrifying thing a woman can have done to her.


	18. XVIII

XVIII : The Vision

**Authors note : Usually Italics mean thought, today they mean flash back, until the last section of this story. Also, if Brian's plan seems over the top, I've done what I set out to accomplish.**

Typhlosion had agreed not to use fire attacks in their battle, so the holes on the back of his neck were not ignited. Brian needed them to not ignite yet, for his plan to work.

"Do you think he has a chance?" Natasha asked.

"Only if his plan works" Axle said.

"Well, maybe he can win by luck"

"Shallow men believe in luck"

"Hey, I believe in luck!" Jonah cried.

"My point exactly"

The Sanslash held up a claw in Typhlosion's direction, and he growled. She held one up at Brian.

"Ready" Sitting in the only tree in the dessert area, invisible to all, Mew sat.

"This will be fun" it laughed. Sandslash looked at the two fighters, and dropped her claws.

Go.

_"Typhlosion is faster then you" Dimitrius said, as they prepared for Brian's possible death, "Much faster. But, this ones also drunk, so that may work to you advantage"_

"_I hope I can get away from it" Brian said, "Because, I do actually know how to beat it" He crouched down, and picked up handfuls of sand, and dumped them into the empty bottle._

Typhlosion took off running on all fours, simply trying to tackle Brian. He was drunk, and in return he was slow, even by human standards, so Brian was able to leap out of the way. Both of them hit the ground. Brian got up slowly, and sorely, and began his plan.

"Hey driver, where we going?" Brian started singing at the top of his lungs, "I swear, my nerves are showing"

A murmur went through the crowd, as Brian continued to sing.

"What in the world is he doing?"

"I think he's singing"

"That's singing? He's terrible"

"Is he nuts?"

"He's going to get his ass kicked" Typhlosion stood up, and turned to see Brian at the other end of the slab.

_"Now, what can kill a pokemon, with out any skill?" Brian asked. The others looked at each other, and shrugged._

_"I give up" Jonah said, as he popped some pokeblocks out, "What can beat them with out skill?"_

"Confusion"

"Comes the morning and the headlines fade away" Brian sang.

"What the fuck is this guy doing?" Typhlosion growled. All six of the sliders positioned themselves at different points in the crowd, forming a circle. Typhlosion charged, and Brian moved out of the way. This guys was about as drunk as you could get.

"Hundred thousand people, I'm the one they frame" Brian yelled.

"Stop singing" Typhlosion growled, as he stood up again.

"Comes the morning and the headlines fade away" It went on like this for about two minutes, with every one in the crowd very confused. Typhlosion continued to miss Brian, still very drunk, although he was getting closer every time. As Brian ran, the bottles tied to his waist clinked. Typhlosion was also growing more pissed with the song, about to kill Brian.

_"Confusion?" Jonah coughed, spitting out the block. "You can't confuse it. You don't know confuse ray, or swagger, or flatter"_

_"We know them" Cameron said, "You don't. This actually makes me interested in what your idea is" Brian grinned._

_"I'm going to sing"_

Brian leapt out of the way again, on the right side of the slab, but this time Typhlosion jumped back up, and began slashing at Brian, causing him to run backwards.

"Comes the morning, and the headlines fade away" Slash slash, each slash cutting the air inches from Brian's chest.

"Stop SINGING" Typhlosion screamed, all though it just sounded like screaming to Brian.

_"Sing?" Natasha screamed, "Your great plan is to sing?!"_

_"Now now, let me finish, I've got every thing set up perfectly. I've got two bottles, one full of sand, and one full of booze. The sand one serves two purposes"_

"Spare the darkness, let it never fade away" They reached the back of the slab. Typhlosion let out a bellow, that meant nothing in any language. He leapt at Brian, slashing wildly. He jumped to high though, so Brian dropped, and he sailed over him, hitting the ground hard. Brian ran over, and from the second bottle, tossed sand in Typhlosion's eyes, blinding it, before making wild hand signals to the crowd.

_"I'll use the sand bottle to blind it"_

Go time.

All of the sliders nodded, although Jonah got a look of embarecment on his face. They

began to sing.

_"Then, you guys come in. I need you to spread out among the crowd. When I give the signal, I want you guys to sing what ever verse I'm on"_

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhh a-a-a, the living daylights" they sang. Every one in the crowd turned to the slider closet to them, taking their eyes off the battle for a second. They sang horribly, and out of sync, but it had its desired effect.

_"You see, it will serve three purposes. One, it will disorient Typhlosion, it can't see me, so it will rely on hearing._

"The living daylights" Typhlosion no longer knew where the song was coming, just that it seemed to be coming from every direction.

"I wonder if it worked?" Brian mumbled. Typhlosion screamed at the top of his lungs, as smoke came from the holes in the back of his neck.

_"Second, when I use the leichi bottle, it will block out the noise from the crowd. They're going to be yelling at him, to tell him that_

"This ones for Ninetails" Brian screamed, as he took the liechi bottle, and stuck it in one of Typhlosion's neck vents, before running away as fast as he could. Typhlosion screamed, feeling something in its neck vents.

_I stuck the booze in his vent. If he can't hear them he will ignite his flames to get it out. And when he does_

Typhlosion's neck exploded in a fireball. Typhlosion fur is flame retardant, so Brian wasn't counting on the fire, rather, the sheer force of the explosion.

_Now, once the bottle explodes, he should be in bad shape. All I have to do is hit him with something heavy on the head"_

"And this ones for Rose" Brian said. Typhlosion was struggling to get on four legs, the explosion having done a lot of damage. Even his fire was out. Their was a hush over the crowd, the sliders having stopped singing, as Brian simply walked over to Typhlosion, raised the bottle over his head, and smashed it down. Typhlosion collapsed.

Brian noticed the Sandslash referee running towards them, so he moved out of the way. She got to Typhlosion, poked him once, twice, nothing. She held up her clawed hand in Brian's direction.

_Winner_

Axle smiled to him self. That kid may actually have some value. Mew laughed, and clapped, before falling out of the tree.

_Natasha thought for a moment. "You said three reasons, that's only two" Brian nodded._

_"Well, the song is so irritating, it will keep Typhlosion trying to attack me. As long as he gets near me, or I near him, I can get to those vents"_

* * *

"The Living Daylights?" Jonah asked three days later. They were all in the bar, having gone over their plan of attack for the last time, ready to enjoy them selves before a suicide mission. "Why in the world did you pick that song?"

"It's a great song!" Brian cried, "What's wrong with it?"

"Its an old song"

"Its still a great song" They were drinking water, the last thing they needed was to be hung over. Max had complained at first, saying that it would still take 21 hours to get to Johto from that God forsaken rock, but his cries had fallen on deaf ears. Currently, they were trying to think of anything but the tasks tomorrow, so they talked about Brian's victory.

"I still don't get it" Cameron said, "What would have happened had he decided to use fire attacks?"

"I would have been screwed. I couldn't dodge a flame-thrower, plus, I needed to get a clear shot at his back, to hit his quills. If Typhlosion had been using fire attacks, he would have just sat on one end of the slab, shooting fire, until I fell. I needed to get him to move"

"Well, I'm impressed" Natasha said, as she came back to the table, carrying a uniform like the rest of them. "Now, we have something for you" She dropped the heavy load of clothes in front of him.

"Wow, its about the ugliest uniform that all of you wear, why is that?"

"One black jacket" Cameron said, "Flame retardant, heat insulated, and can be used as a flotation device. One pair of black boots, treads on the bottom to walk on ice. One pair of black gloves, also thermo-insulated, and electricity proof. One pair of black sweat pants, you'll find a two minute breathing tube of oxygen sewn into the pockets" Brian pulled a white shirt, which was heavy and hard as a rock. "One double layered shirt, completely bullet proof"

"Well, at least I understand why you wear these" Brian muttered, punching the shirt and instantly regretting it. "Who designed these?"

"I did" Cameron said, "I have an IQ of 187, if I don't have something to occupy my time, I would go insane"

"Who sewed them?" Dimitrius sunk down low. "Uh, never mind"

"Good, now that we're past that" Cameron pulled his laptop off his lap, and put it in the center of the table, for every one to see. "I've made a digital mock up of what I believe the base will look like, based on the description of the one in Meteor Falls" The base vaguely resembled a Metagross, with four long legs attached by hallways, holding up a round center area.

"Now, theirs only one entrance I'm assuming, and that would be the best way to get in. As for where they will be holding Stephanie, Horatio, Rose, and Ninetails"

"A full frontal assault?" Brian asked, "Can't we just teleport from here, into where ever they're holding our friends?"

"Teleport doesn't work that way" Natasha said, "You can only teleport long distances if your going somewhere you've already been. I can't get us any where near the lake of rage. Now, I can teleport us through walls and stuff, even if we haven't been there before, but the walls have to be thin"

"And they'll be the thinnest at the front door"

"Exactly"

"Alright, now lets talk about LifeForce grunts" Axle said. "For the most part, LifeForce has some fairly strong soldiers, the ones you saw us beat are nothing. If they've fixed their slider machine, we might actually have some trouble. Our goal is not even to defeat all of LifeForce, just to get Steph, Horatio, and the rest, and destroying the machine"

"So, what's to stop them from trying again?"

"They'll have their soldiers" Jonah said, "What do they need us for? We can't stop them, until we find the big boss" Brian sighed.

"I suppose that makes sense"

"Now, we've gone over that" Dimitrius said, standing up, "Now I'm going to bed" He was followed by every one, except Axle, Brian, and Max.

Brian sat there, thinking about the next day, and about what might happen to him. The somber thoughts made him punch drunk.

"Hey Axle" He looked at Brian, "Since I met you, I've got two questions"

"Brian, I don't"

"They'll take my mind off of tomorrow"

"Shoot"

"One, the sunglasses, what's with the sunglasses?" Axle laughed, and removed them. Brian's eyes went wide.

Axle's irises were orange, with little cream lines in them, like the color of a Dragonite.

"For some reason, when I evolved into Dragonite, my eyes changed color. Its never to a slider happened since" Axle said, putting his sunglasses back on, "And I doubt it will ever happen again"

"Fuckin awesome" Max had been silent, not even moving, but neither Brian, nor Axle noticed.

"And what's the second question?"

"The scars, I gotta know" Axle grimaced, and then laughed nervously.

"Well, you know how, when your in a relationship, your never supposed to cheat on the person your with? Well, its bad if they find out, its worse if they're a Meowth hybrid, and it's the end of the world if you were cheating on her with her sister" Brian whistled.

"You cheated on your girlfriend?"

"Wife at the time" Now Brian was shocked.

"Your wife?! You were married?" Axle nodded. "You look my age, how can you be married"

"I did have a life before meeting Natasha, and starting the sliders you know. And I'm not a perfect person, and I don't claim to be. I've fucked up really bad in the past, but its okay"

"That's not what gets me, you look my age. You must have gotten married when you were 15" Axle laughed as he stood up.

"That's a secret I've only told one person" Axle headed out. "I'll see you tomorrow"

"See ya" Brian sat there, dumbstruck. "Axle was married" He said, turning to Max, "Can you believe, Max?"

"People can surprise you" Max said. The two sat in silence for a moment, before Max spoke up. "Hey Brian, can I just say that I've really enjoyed having you here"

"Thanks Max. I don't know why, but thanks"

"I'm serious, I feel more of a connection to you then I do the rest of them. Lets face it, you're an outcast"

"I even describe my self as one"

"Well, that's what I am also. I mean, I don't fit in with the humans because of the body, the pokemon because of the lack to attacks, and the sliders because they can become human and I can't"

"Awe Max" Brian smiled. "I love being an outcast. Being one of the crowd, you loose your self. And besides, who holds up the rest of the world, the have's? Or the have not's?" Brian held up his bowl, "To being a have not!"

"Here here" Max sipped, and then turned back to Brian. "You know, I've always" He suddenly cut off.

"Max, is something wrong?"

Max sat there, with a glazed expression on his face. His mouth was open slightly, and he was drooling. "Max?" Brian asked, concerned, shaking the Espeon.

"Whazza hooza?" Max cried, coming out of the trance.

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"What just happened" Max slowly stood up, and shook his head, trying to remember where he was. The bar was all but empty, so nobody noticed him. His mind returning, Max sat down slowly. He gulped.

"Brian, I had a vision" Brian was confused.

"Of the future?"

"No, of Stephanie with out any clothes, of course the future you nit!"

"Sorry" Max grunted, annoyed. "Wait, you can't have visions, you can't use attacks. Also, Espeon see the future by reading air currents with their tails"

"Three points. One, Espeons only do the air thing in battle, and psychic type can be struck down by a vision of the future at any moment. Two, its not an attack, and even if it was, it would happen randomly, and three, I've got to tell you what I saw, it has to do with you"

**

* * *

**

The Vision

The first thing Max saw was an eyeball. Not his eye, a human eye, a blue human eye. Slowly, Max's field of vision pulled into the pupil, until all he could see was blackness.

Then, Max noticed the sides of the pupil seemed to shine, but the center seemed to grow darker. He began to pull back, to see it was no longer a pupil, but the barrel of a gun.

Suddenly, Max was looking at the gun barrel from the side, as it pulled back, and another bullet entered the chamber. It fired.

The bullet moved in slow motion, like it was moving through water. Max followed it, and slowly his vision turned, until he was seeing the bullet from the back.

Max watched, as the bullet plowed into a towering white wall. The wall tore a hole, and blood poured out. Now, Max began to move backwards.

"Oh fuckin Christ" The wall was a shirt, the bullet entering in the chest area. Max saw arms, appear, then hands, legs, and feat, but the head he couldn't see yet. He then pulled far enough back.

It was Brian's face he saw. Brian, sputtering as blood came out of his mouth, whose lips moved but no sound came out. Max then felt him self being shook.

* * *

"And, that's where we left off" Max said. Brian had a look of horror on his face.

"So, you mean?"

"Yep"

"And have you ever had visions before?"

"Two. They both came true"

"So this means?"

"If you go and fight, you will die"

**Any ideas as to who the big boss of LifeForce is? Message me, and I'll put up my favorite suggestions on one of the next chapters**


	19. XIX

XIX : The Error

Every day for Rose it was the same thing, they tested to see the limits of her Ninetales form, how much fire she could produce, how fast she could move, what attack's she could use.

But, their biggest concern, was how often she could shift back and forth. Now, since their own soldiers couldn't shift for long, before being stuck in pokemon form, Rose was sick to death with fear.

One day before the sliders were to attack the base, Rose was lead to the shifting room for another go. She tried to beg them not to take her, but she was to tired to talk. Hell, she was to tired to move.

Although she didn't know that Louise had raped her, it still affected her. She was destroyed mentally, all she wanted to do was die.

They drug her, carrying her under her arms. Rose's head was down, and she prayed to God to die. But, her prayer went unanswered, as they opened the door to the shifting room.

The shifting room was a small square room, with a giant tube in the center, that had electrical equipment attached to it. Their was a computer in the back right corner, that all the wires from the tube went to, along with two chairs and some video equipment.

They dragged Rose to the tube, and shut her inside. She slouched against the ground, to tired to even look to see who brought her today. Suddenly, a voice crackled over the intercom.

"Wake up please" Rose groaned.

"Go fuck your self" The two men laughed.

"Even we can not do that. Activate collar" Their was a sudden electric jolt, and Rose was on two feet.

"What the fuck was that for" Rose screamed, in a voice that didn't even sound like hers. _God, I've been with out sleep for so long, I don't even sound like me_.

Now that her eyes were open, Rose could see that the people who dragged her, were not ones she usually recognized. These two looked like teenagers, one was manning the video equipment with a head set on, and the other held the collar remote.

"Okay, we're going to change you into Ninetales form" the one with the head-set explained, as though talking to a child. Rose grit her teeth, as the collar activated.

She could feel her muzzle push out, and feel her tails sprouting. In a second, she was on all fours, with barely enough room in the tube.

Rose opened her eyes, as the transformation finished. The two kids were staring at her with awe. _If I get out of here, I'm going to roast them alive._

The tube it self was fire proof. The day before, Rose had used flame-thrower, hopping that the tube might break or something. Instead, it filled with fire, and nearly burned her alive.

It was also smash proof. Also the day before, she had tried skull bash, until her skull nearly cracked.

The tube was indestructible, constantly beeping, and monitoring her as she changed back and forth. _If I ever get out of here_ Rose thought, _I'm going to cram Grovyl inside of this tube, and see how he likes it._

"Now shift back" The collar buzzed, and Rose slowly began to return to human form. As she balanced her self against the tube, she saw the two men grinning like idiots. Rose mouthed "fuck off".

The remote guy smirked. "Now shift again" said headset.

Rose landed on her forepaws, feeling rage seep into her brain. _Their treating me like I'm some fucking toy! I'm going to fucking kill them._

"Now take her back" Rose changed to human.

"Now forward" Rose changed to Ninetails. She could barely move, and then the collar buzzed again.

"Now back"

"Now forward"

"Now back"

"Now forward"

"Now back" Rose couldn't move, every one of her muscles had seized up, leaving her frozen. Suddenly, headset looked up from the camera.

"Um, you are writing down your observations, right" Remote looked up.

"Was I supposed to be?"

"You stupid fuck, of course you were" Headset moved away from the camera, and walked up to the tube. He stared down at Rose, anger radiating off her body.

"Oh well, we might as well start over" He laughed at Rose, "You don't mind, do yah?"

_More testing! I CAN'T TAKE IT, I WAN'T OUT. I, I, I uh_ Rose sat down, a glazed expression in her red eyes.

"See, she doesn't mind" Headset didn't notice, but Rose's breathing was beginning to pick up. The computer in the corner began beeping, and Remote went to investigating.

"Uh dude, something's wrong"

"What's the matter" Headset was sitting down, staring at Rose, who was now hyperventilating.

"Her body temperature, its raised by 50 degree's"

"It's a mistake, and if it isn't, so what?" Rose slowly turned her head, until Headset could see his reflection in Rose's red eyes. Rose leapt to her feet, causing Headset to jump back.

"Ninetales!" She screamed, as a torrent of flames issued forth from her mouth. Upon hitting the glass, they raised upward, until the tube was a pillar of flames.

"Uh, dude, those flames are 200, 300, 400 degree's hotter then we recorded, and rising" This got Headset's attention.

"Move out of the way" He yelled, shoving Remote on the ground. Now the computer read they were 1200 degree's hotter.

"This can't be happening, that tube is designed to withstand the heat of her flames. If she goes to hot" The two looked at the pillar of flames.

Then the flames started to drop! At first, Remote and Headset were relived, but, as the flames dropped, they revealed the glass had, for the most part, been burned away. All that was there was a very pissed off Ninetails.

"Oh shit"

"Nine" Ninetails screamed, jumping room the tube, and landing on Remote. Remote's eyes filled with terror, as Ninetails bit deep into his throat.

"HOLY FUCK" Headset screamed, running for the door. He made it, but the door wasn't opening fast enough, so he pressed his body to it, and started pounding. Ninetails moved to being directly behind him.

"Tails ninetales" The most cylindrical flame-thrower ever, flew out of Ninetails mouth. The door opened, and Headset tried to run, right as the flame-thrower hit him in his back.

The heat was so intense, that it burned a hole through Headset's chest, leaving

him standing. The flames died, and Headset hit the ground, landing in the doorway. Ninetails calmly stepped over his body, and began moving down the hall.

She moved back the way she came, hopping to find Grovyl's office. Upon hearing the screaming, an alarm had activated, and guards were now positioned at the end of the hall.

Their might have been eight of them, all holding guns, laughing as Ninetails calmly marched towards them. They all turned their guns on her, and prepared to fire.

"Tales" Ninetails said calmly. She then used flame wheel.

All of the guards screamed, and began firing at the wall of flames, but none of the bullets made it through. Ninetails screamed a battle scream, as the guards screamed, being cooked alive.

_God, how long have I been out of it? Last thing I remember was the tube, and Rose. Louise, he raped Rose! Wait, how do I know that? We can think about that later, lets end this. Now, that laboratory had the hall that lead to Grovyl's office, now, where would it be_? Ninetails moved past her cell, and was half tempted to destroy it, but kept walking, until she reached the main hall. She turned left, and continued walking, until the reached the lab.

By now, their should have been more guards posted in the entrance, but their weren't. Instead, only Louise was there.

"Hey Red, I saw what you did to those guards" Ninetails growled. "Oh, I just wanted to say I was impressed. Also, your not the only one who can do a little trick" Louise shifted into Jolteon form, "They put me through your treatment, so I can shift back and forth whenever I want. Now lets play"

Louise used a thunder bolt, and Ninetails jumped out of the way. She landed, and attempted to leap on him, so he jumped back. She launched a flame-thrower, and Louise rolled to the side, before using another thunderbolt.

As the two fought, two guards came in from a side hall, and watched. Ninetails flames made contact with Louise, sending him flying against the wall. Ninetails pounced on him.

"Don't just stand there, help!" Louise screamed. Ninetails angled her muzzle above Louise's face, and prepared to blast him to the next life. Suddenly, Ninetails felt her body change, watched her paws morph into hands and her forelegs into arms. The fire vanished. Louise though, had also turned into a human.

"They must have turned the blocker shields back on" Louise muttered. Ninetails growled.

"I don't care what you did to me" She screamed in perfect English, "I'm going to kill you" Ninetails slammed her fist into Louise's throat, "You raped Rose you mother fucker" It was at this moment, the two guards grabbed the struggling woman off of Louise. He stood up, and dusted off slowly.

"See, no one can beat us" Louise taunted. Ninetails screamed, and elbowed the guards in the stomach, causing them to let go of her. Before Louise could move, she delivered a devastating kick to the side of his jaw, shattering it.

"Fuccccc" Louise screamed through a bloody mouth. Ninetails wrapped her hands around his neck, preparing to strangle the life out of him, when one of the guards jumped up, and clubbed her on the back of the head.

**

* * *

**

Three Hours Later

"Report Grovyl" The boss asked the hybrid. Grovyl held a computer print out, a brain scan.

"Well, she only killed one of our agents, the ones she burned in the hall way will survive, as will the one she bit in the neck. Louis is in bad shape, his bottom jaw was shattered, and his mouth will have to be wired shut"

"Do I look like I give a fuck about that? Tell me about the TRS scan we did on the girl"

"The scan? Oh right, the scan on the girl Rose, revealed something very interesting" The boss nodded.

"And"

"And what?"

"And what was interesting you stupid fuck?" Grovyl growled.

"There are two brain wave patterns. Two minds. One body, two people running

it. Their must have been an error in the machine, something that caused their minds not to merge" The boss laughed. "Its not funny, the experiment made the pokemon mind go to sleep, but when the girl was pushed to the emotional braking point, it awakened. Imagine what the two could do together"

"I like it, the beautiful body of the girl, the intelligent and skilled mind of the Ninetales" He sighed. "Bring her to me"

"But sir!"

"Its time she and I met"

* * *

Ninetails was strapped to a gurney by three leather straps. A ball gag had been placed in her mouth, and she still hadn't seen her human face. Ninetails had no idea where she was going, as they wheeled her down a long hall.

"I'll take her from here" Grovyl said, as he took the gurney and wheeled it into his office. Closing the door, he bent down and looked at her. "Having fun?"

"Fghm yhk" Ninetails spat, struggling against the restraints. Grovyl laughed.

"Your lucky, you know. The boss wants to meet you" This stopped Ninetails.

"Yghm nfgh tyu bsre?" Grovyl sighed.

"If only. No, LifeForce is like a beautifull fountain, made up of thousands of pieces. I am but the fountain head, not the water that rushes through it, the real boss" He said, wheeling her though the secret door, "Is him"

Grovyl undid the restraints. Ninetails sat up quickly, ripping the ball gag out of her mouth. Sitting across from her, behind an oak desk, was the big boss of LifeForce.

"You?" Ninetails asked, with some curiosity "What are you doing here?"

Whose the big boss? Send me your suggestions, and I'll post the best ones on the next chapter


	20. XX

Long Authors Note : First, I will not be updating next Sunday, but I will update on Wensday with two chapters. This is not a Brian chapter, this is a Rose/Ninetails chapter, but the next one with him is a long one.

Second, I asked people who they thought the big boss of LifeForce was, only one replied.

**Foxyjosh - **The boss of lifeforce should be a short, fat, bald man, with a short temper and a big ego (You got two things right)

Thank you for responding Foxyjosh, since you were the only one to respond, this chapter is deticated to you.

Finally, this was a very bad week for me, something bad happened to me, and I'm feeling really bad, so I urge all who read this to review because I allways feel better reading the reviews of others.

* * *

XX : The Real Plan

"Hello Ninetails" He said. The man was a tall, lean man, whose color scheme could be described as gray. Gray suit, gray hair, and small steel gray eyes that pierced your soul. But Ninetails knew exactly who he was, he was the man who ran the human army. "Has any one ever mentioned you look a lot like Diana Rigg?"

"Hello Julius" Ninetails responded, as she climbed off of the gurney, and onto a chair in front of his desk. "Has any one mentioned you look like a two flush corn log?" He smirked.

"I must assume you know whose body your in?"

"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, I'm in Rose's body" Julius nodded.

"Do you know how?"

"That machine, the slider machine, something went wrong" He smiled.

"You're right honey, something went wrong. Your body on a genetic level matches the other two, but your minds are still separate"

"You know, you seemed shocked to see me here"

"Well, its not every day that the leaders of the two army's that are tearing the planet apart, are actually working to take over the world" Julius barked a laugh.

"What makes you think we're trying to take over the world?"

"Well, stop me when I'm wrong. You both manipulated large scores of humans and hybrids into antagonism against each other, correct?"

"Correct"

"You both arranged acts of terrorism against each other, in order to start the war. While both of you were the heads of the army's, you specifically were running LifeForce, a third organization, against both sides, correct?"

"Correct again"

"You and Grovyl have been doing experiments, trying to create your own sliders, but something went wrong"

"Our soldiers would get stuck in their pokemon form, but unable to use their powers" Ninetails nodded.

"So, finally, you decided to kidnap some actual sliders, to study their body's and fix the problems in your machine. Now that the problems are solved, your going to create your own army, and fight the other two armies. You'll win of course, because their exhausted from 15 years of fighting, and you've got super soldiers"

"Actually, only seven other people have gone through the machine. As we have discovered, sending one of our problem cases through a second time, turns them into an actual slider. Your friend Louis can attest to this" Ninetails scowled.

"I promised him I was going to kill him" She looked Julius straight in the eyes. "And I promise you the same thing. I'm going to kill you, and I'm going to do it by ripping your face off, and burning you alive" Julius shook his head. He stood up, and walked behind Ninetails. She turned her head right up at him.

"You were having such a hot streak, but that one is incorrect darlin'. You see, two things. One, I have no interest in rulin' the world" Grovyl returned, having taken the gurney away.

"Oh really" Ninetails asked, skeptically.

"Yeah, when Grovyl told you those were our goals, I told him to feed you that bullshit. I wanted to see how you and the girl would react to information like that, along with the living hell we were going to put you through" Julius laughed, his eyes gleaming, "Mostly, I wanted to see if you would fight back darlin'"

"Alright" Ninetails growled, "If you don't want to rule the world, what the fuck do you want?" Julius smiled a creepy smile, one that only showed his small upper teeth.

"Well darlin', in case your wondering, I founded LifeForce the same day I entered the army. Several of the people in LifeForce are people I knew personally. Well, I created this organization to make money"

"Money?"

"Lots of it. We did tours of duty in some of the most disgusting hell holes on earth, but we were able to make connections. From those connections, we began smuggling and gun running operations, that eventually morphed into some drug smuggling and human slave trading" He said this with a smile.

"Eventually though, we got to big to hid within the army, so I removed us from them, and we became a separate organization. We took the name LifeForce, and have expanded into one of the largest organizations in the world. Well, about 17 years ago, around the time I became head of the arm, not yet the human army, I was contacted by the head of, lets call it a special interest group"

"Special interest group?"

"You see, they paid us approximately 200 million Sinnoh Sovereigns, to do two jobs for them. The first was, they wanted a war, one that would weaken the armies of Johto, Kanto, Hoenn, and the Sevii Islands"

"Wait, over five hundred thousand people are dead, and more lives ruined, because of money! What the fuck is wrong with you"

"Let me finish suga'. As you know, tension between humans and hybrids have been high for years, I figured it wouldn't take much to spark a fire, and it didn't. I had several of my agents commit several hate crimes against the hybrids, had a few of their high ranking members killed, and worked hard to tighten the screws on those freaks until they wouldn't be able to breath.

"Well, the war exploded, but then 15 years passed, and if you noticed, our special interest group still hasn't taken Johto, Kanto, Hoenn, or the Sevii Islands, and now the war is so out of control its gonna to spread to Sinnoh! That's the second request our special interest group had

"They came back 12 years ago, telling us their army wasn't strong enough still. They wanted us to design a weapon, something that could give them an edge. They paid me, specifically me, six hundred million sovereigns to do this"

"The sliders"

"My weapon. You see, we had heard reports of a strange group of people, who would help refugees, human or hybrid or pokemon, it didn't matter. But, what attracted us, was that they were able to transform into pokemon, and back. Amazing, ain't it? Well, we were able to figure out where this group was going to be one day, we attacked them, and got a sample of DNA from one of them, I believe the one that could become a Raichu"

"And you based your machine off of the DNA sample?"

"Exactly, your sharp darlin'. Well, DNA wasn't enough, our first machine ended up sealing our "volunteers" in pokemon form. We decided we needed to get an actual slider, one whose body we could study, and try to match the end result to. Well, it took many years, but we got two of them, and now we have the perfect machine"

"And now what, your special interest group comes and picks it up?"

"Not quit darlin'. You see, I decided why get six hundred mill, when I could get six billion. There are other special interest groups you know"

"Ah" Ninetails grinned to her self, as his plan finally came together, "A global auction"

"With weapon supremacy going to the highest bidder" Julius smiled. "When I said I wanted to see if you would fight back, that was me testing my weapon. You were able to defeat many of our trained guards, and even able to brake ol Louis's teeth. With those kinds of results, my machine should fetch a very high price. After that, well I take the money, and run"

"Your going to leave all the others here holding the bag? What about the ones you turned into sliders"

"I'm using them to show the special interest groups that the machine isn't a crock. Hell, they really belive we're trying to take over the world. After I get my money, they can use their powers to do what ever they want, not my problem. What do you think of my plan?"

"You diabolical master mind" Ninetails said, "Well, I still don't understand something. Grovyl, why is he even here, and how did you loop him in?"

"The scientists on the LifeForce payroll could never hope to build such a machine. However, the scientists in the hybrid army could. We needed something from him, and he needed something from me" Ninetails looked over her shoulder at Grovyl, who stood with his back pressed against the wall, trying not to be noticed.

"What did Grovyl want?" Julius laughed.

"You know, this fucker actually believed in all that hybrid equality bullshit, and you know what he betrayed his race for? An envelope"

"Its not just the envelope" Grovyl suddenly yelled, "I need what's inside" _I'd kill every one in this base to get what's inside_

"What's inside?" Ninetails asked.

"Dunno, don't care. I'm gonna be rich man, what does it matter to me?"

"Okay, now that we've got that cleared up" Ninetails said, returning to the slime ball, "You said I got two things wrong. The first were your plans, what's the second"

"Darlin', you said you were going to kill me" Julius said, as he got up from his chair, and moved over to her, "Well, that ain't gonna happen. I'm going to give you a choice. You can threaten me, and I can have you put into the deep freeze with your friends. Or," Julius began to rub her arm. Ninetails looked at it, and cringed, considering biting it off. "You're an extremely gorgeous woman. Hell, your even good lookin as a pokemon, but I ain't into that. I could give you every thing. You can't hold any loyalty to your friends, they would have tried to rescue you by now if they cared"

"You want me to be your mistress?"

"You'll have anything a woman could ask for, all I ask is for your loyalty to me. Would it be the end of the world to be with me, really?" Ninetails could hardly believe what she was hearing, as she smiled slowly.

_This mans a fool, and a horny one on top of that, but I can use this_ "You know" She said, seductively, "I've always liked a man with power. I except"

"I'm glad to hear it, you know-" Suddenly, the speaker on Grovyl's desk in the other room buzzed.

"This is Grovyl"

"Sir, Mr. Rollan is here" Grovyl and Julius's faces dropped.

"Darlin', go into Grovyl's office, we'll have some guards escort you to your new room"

"But why?"

"Just do it" Ninetails shrugged, as Grovyl walked back over to Julius.

"Rollan is here already?" Julius shrugged.

"Get him in here, we have a job for him to do"

As Ninetails was escorted out of the offices, and to a new cell, she wondered who this Rollan was, and how he evoked so much fear in two men.

* * *

"Its time" Axle said, and the seven waved good bye to the group of pokemon who had come to see them go.

"I'll never forget this place" Brian muttered.

"Few ever do" Cameron said in agreement. Jonah and Axle morphed into Dragonite and Pidgeot. Natasha and Brian climbed on Jonah's back, and Dimitrius climbed on Axle's. Natasha morphed into Alakazam, and lifted Max and Cameron off the ground. Then they took off.

Brian watched the Sacred Valley become distant. He looked at Max, being dragged along in mid-air, before closing his eye's.

_Rose, Ninetails, Stephanie, Horatio. We're coming, hold on._


	21. XXI

**

* * *

**

This chapter is dedicated to The-Black-Cuno, Foxyjosh, and AMJZero

XXI : The Journey of the Five

Brian clutched Jonah's back, as the environment raced bye. He turned to Natasha, who almost seemed to be asleep.

"Hey, Natasha. How far along are we?"

"I have no idea" Brian nodded.

"I want to ask something.

"What?"

"If I don't make it out, I've gotta know. How did the five of you become sliders?"

Natasha opened her eyes, pausing on how to best answer the question.

"Uh, that's a tough one, I mean, I know everyone's story, but they take place over a long period of time. You see, sliders don't age as fast as humans, hybrids, or most pokemon"

"How slow do they age?"

"How old would you say I am, or Cameron is?"

"You, I dunno 19 or 20, Cameron, maybe 16?"

"I wish. I'm 41 years old, Cameron is about 23" Brian just stared. "I had to tell you that, so you'll understand. Now, lets go in reverse order, starting with Jonah"

**Jonah : Two Years Earlier**

On the edge of the forest, outside of Goldenrod city, three men in solider fatigues waited, one of them with a sniper riffle strapped to their back. Every so often, one of them would click a flashlight on and off rapidly, three times, waiting for a response. After an hour, with them doing this ever ten minutes, another flashlight flashed in their direction, beckoning them on.

The three made their way into the woods, running through the dark trees, until they came upon a small clearing. The moon bathed the area in a silver glow, and in the center of the clearing, stood a man with orange hair and a trench coat, leaning against a Pidgeot.

"Are you him" One of the three asked. Jonah grinned.

"I'm him. They call me the candyman, cause I got every thing for your sweet tooth" Jonah grinned. "Usually, I don't take first time customers, but you three got a good recommendation" From inside of his trench coat, Jonah pulled out a back filled with brown powder. "Blackdragon, the finest stuff, straight from Orre" He tossed it to the first solider, who punctured the bag with a switch blade, and snorted a little of what came out.

"Holy fuck" The solider cried, "You ain't kidding, this is some high class shit"

"This is nothing" Jonah took back the large bag, and pulled out a smaller one with three small, blue tablets in it. He pulled them out, and handed one to each solider. "This is new, called Pluto"

"Why is it called that?"

"Cause you'll visit Pluto if you suck one of these mother fuckers" Jonah laughed. "These are extra expensive, but you can do 'em at any time. How may do you want" Had the soldiers been paying attention, they would have noticed that the Pidgeot was no longer behind Jonah, but circling in the sky.

"Well, what do you say we take all of it" The lead solider said, as he pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Jonah. Jonah sighed, and shook his hand.

"Let me tell you nitwits something. The Pidgeot I flew in on is not just my transportation, but my friend. When I get hurt, he gets upset. Do you know what he does when he gets upset?"

The three didn't need to ask, when Pidgeot swooped down, its wings out stretched and glowing. It knocked out the two standing on both sides of the leader using steel wing, and then simply pecked the third, knocking all three down in one second.

"You're awesome" Jonah grinned, walking over to the three and grabbing his bag from the lead solider.

"Piiiidgeeot" (I enjoy what I do, but why do you insist on calling your self the candy man?)

"Eh, the candyman's a great name" Jonah plucked the small pills from their hands. "I probably shouldn't give free samples"

"Geot" (You think) Jonah shrugged.

"What ever, we've got hybrid customers waiting in Kanto, we can be there in a few hours" Jonah leapt onto Pidgeot's back, "You've gotta love this life"

The three soldiers began to struggle back up, as Jonah and Pidgeot took off. The leader grabbed the sniper riffle off the back of his associate.

"I was worried about this little, eventuality, make sure to pay attention to where the body lands" Lead loser aimed towards the moon, right as Jonah and Pidgeot flew in front of it. He fired.

"We kicked ass" Jonah cried, as a gunshot rang out. Suddenly, Jonah was ripped off of Pidgeot, as his neck exploded in a haze of blood.

"GEOT" (Jonah!) Jonah sailed towards the trees, falling into the dark forest. Pidgeot soared after, him, almost losing him.

Finally, Jonah's body smashed through a tree branch, and hit the ground, dead. Pidgeot touched down, staring at his dead friend. Tears stung his eyes.

_There is one thing I can do…_

* * *

"Okay, you swore you saw it land around here" The leader growled, as he and his band of misfits trekked through the dark forest.

"Yep, I did boss"

"Well, where is he?" The follower shrugged. The third man, who had remained silent, suddenly looked up, thinking he had heard something. A giant black figure swooped down, and grabbed the third man, before flinging him in the air.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccccckkkkkkk" The man screamed. The other two got nervous.

"Boss, what if that dudes Pidgeot?" The second man asked nervously. The giant figure swooped down again, not picking up the second man, just plowing into him.

"Fuck!" The leader screamed, pulling out his gun and unloading the clip into a tree. "Where are you fucker?"

"Right here" The solider leapt around, to see the Pidgeot behind him. Before he could move, the Pidgeot used peck on his skull, knocking him out.

* * *

"What happened next?" Brian asked.

"I don't know. I just know how the became sliders, maybe what happened a few minutes later" Brian grinned.

"So, Jonah was a drug dealer?"

"Hey" Jonah cried, "I was not a drug dealer, I was an entrepreneur"

"You were a fucking drug dealer"

"Shut up or I'll do a barrel roll"

"Jonah" Natasha screamed, "If we fall and die, I'll track you to the darkest regions of Judecca, and then I'll kick your ass"

"Alright, alright" Jonah grumbled. Brian laughed.

"Well, okay. Then whose next"

"Cameron"

**Cameron – 7 years earlier**

Cameron had worked at a power plant in Rustburrough city. His job would be described as, strange.

Upon building the power plant, the owner swore it would be the first never to have a power surge, or a power outage. 7 years earlier, when the war was still in Johto, Cameron had been a power adjuster.

Cameron worked in the adjuster room. It was a room that had a giant light up map of one of the sections of the city. It had a giant grouping of wires that ran across the ceiling, down through the top of a metal pod, and out the other side, to supply power to ¼ of Rustburrough.

The job was simple. Each adjuster was assigned a partner, and electric type pokemon. The pokemon sat in the pod, the human watched the board. Should the lights become to bright, the human instructed the pokemon to absorb some of the electricity. If the lights began to dim, the pokemon was instructed to add electricity.

It really was the stupidest job of all time. But, as Cameron always admitted to him self, it paid great for something so stupid, and when you are a genius level college student with no money, you'll take stupid. Cameron had been assigned a Raichu named Volt, and the two got great. However, every thing good has a bad side. Its name was Cliff.

Now, you would think that, for such a stupid job, you wouldn't need a shift supervisor. You would be right. You would also think that, if you were a lousy drunk, you would never be able to keep a job. Cliff was proof against that theory.

Cliff was beyond mean. He was dangerous. At six foot nine, most people got scared when he walked in. It didn't help that he was built like a tank. A woman had had Cameron's job before him. It was rumored that Cliff raped her. One day, she climbed inside the adjuster cell, as a surge of electricity came through.

How does such a man keep a job? By being the blacksheep son of the man who owns the power plant.

Cameron and Volt believed that they would enjoy working together, if they both taught the other something new. Cameron had taught Volt how to play cards, even with no thumbs. Volt had tried to teach Cameron how to shoot off electricity. Guess who was more successful?

It was on a night when they were playing cards, when Cameron's like took its turning point. Cameron sat in a chair, facing the adjuster cell, occasionally fingering his lightning bolt shaped earrings. Volt sat on the floor of the cell. Above him, were several un-stripped bundles of wires. Should too much electricity surge through, they would spark, and Volt would grab on, but for now, every thing was peaceful.

"Full House" Cameron said, flipping his cards around, "10's over knaves". Volt had found digging the tips of his claws in, allowed him to hold the cards. Each card had a small puncture in them. Volt looked, and nodded.

"Raichu rai" He said, revealing four of a kind, six's.

"Fuck" Volt dumped his cards on the ground, and Cameron picked them up, before shuffling the deck. It was at this moment, the door opened.

"Hello buttfucks" Cliff slurred, as he walked into Cameron and Volts station.

"Hello dumbass" If Cliff was going to act like a dumbass, a dumbass he shall be. Cliff stumbled behind Cameron's chair. Brewery's had less alcohol in them then this man.

"So, what are you two lovers doing tonight" Cliff sneered. Sparks shot out of Volt's cheeks.

"Well Cliff, we've been having a perfectly wonderful evening, then you came in. Boy, its amazing how quickly a night can go down the shitter" Cliff scratched his head, not getting it. "So, how was he last night?"

"How was who?"

"That guy me and Volt saw you with" Volt snickered. "He must have been pretty good, with the way you two were going at it" It was at this moment, Cliff threw Cameron on the ground, and jumped on him, preparing to punch him.

"I'm nah gay, you supid buttsnorkler"

"I never said you were, just the guy you were with last night was" Cliff screamed, and pulled his fist back.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzt!

"Fuck!" Cliff jumped up and around, to see Volt standing there, out of the cell, preparing to shock him again.

"Chu, Raichu" Volt knew he could take him. Cliff however, had an advantage.

Usually, a human fighting a pokemon, its no contest whose going to win. However, Volt had never been taught to fight, just to suck electricity in, and pump it back out. Volt shot another blast, and Cliff sidestepped it, and grabbed Cameron's chair. He flung it with all his might.

The chair connected with Volt's stomach sending him flying. "Raichuuu" he yelled.

"Leaving him alone!" Cameron yelled, jumping on Cliff's back. Cliff was turning to go back to Cameron though, so Cameron jumped on his front.

Cliff grabbed him by the throat, and held him off the ground.

"If you like your little friend so much, how about you experience what he does?" The board was lighting up, brighter then a Christmas tree. Cliff tossed Cameron in the adjuster cell.

"AUGHHHHHH!!" The pain was unbearable, as electricity shot through Cameron's body, entering at his skull. The resulting explosion knocked power off for ¼ of Rustburrough city, and sent Cameron flying.

"Oh fuck" Cliff ran out of the room, as fast as his coward legs would carry him. Volt slowly made his way over to Cameron.

Cameron wasn't dead, but very close. Volt nudged him slowly.

"Raichu?"

"Hey, don't worry, I'm fine" he rasped. Cameron's heart stopped, and he died. Even though he was dead, he remembered this very clearly.

Volt put his paws on the sides of Cameron's head, where the electricity had gone through. One tear fell, then a second.

Volt began to sink, downward, into Cameron's body. Like he was fading. Soon, Volt was gone, along with the burns all over Cameron's body.

Cameron sat up, dazed, but completely unharmed. He was fired later that evening.

* * *

"What ever happened to Cliff?"

"Cameron said that one of the girls he raped eventually shot him, before shooting themselves"

"Jeez…" Brian paused. "Okay, whose next"

"A man died, and all you can ask is whose next"

"Technically, five people in this convoy, including you, have died, not to mention two more we're going to rescue. So, whose next"

"Well, Dimitrius. Now, this is not one you would expect"

**Dimitrius – 12 years earlier**

The rain pouring on the glass roof created the sound of thunder. The glass roof was to protect the swimming pool building, at Violet City college. Dimitrius taught a class one time a week there.

"Welcome" He called to a large group of people, from on top of a diving board, "To bonding with water pokemon" Dimitrius sighed. _Once I get my doctorate, I'll be out of this stupid fucking building, but the only way I can make any money off of what I know with out a doctorate is with the permission of the college._ The group of people were not students nor clients, but professionals who were to judge Dimitrius on how he ran a session.

"How do we know you have a good bond with your pokemon?" One of the crowd called. Dimitrius stood up, and unclipped a solitary pokeball from his belt, the one he had gotten when he was ten years old.

"Totodile, come out" He flipped the ball into the air, and out popped the small alligator pokemon, landing on his head.

"Toto totodile" (Are we ready D?)

"Alright Totodile, lets show them something cool" Dimitrius turned his back to the group, and backed up to the edge of the diving board, Totodile's claws dug deep into his head. Without a word, Dimitrius leapt backwards, towards the cement floor.

He should have hit the ground in two seconds, but in the amount of time it takes someone to blink an eye, Totodile had leapt off and under his head, and fired a water gun. Dimitrius was pushed upward, and landed on his feet. He thrust his arms behind his back, and caught Totodile before it hit the ground.

"One day, I'll be doctor Dimitrius" Dimitrius muttered, "And we'll have our own building"

"Totodile dile" (Why do you even want to be a human-pokemon therapist anyway?)

"I figure people should have one decent bond in their life" Over head, in the dark sky, their was a flash of pink. "Besides, I want to specialize in water type, because I've always had you"

"Toto todile" (And I've always had you, don't remind me) Totodile floated by, swimming in the pool. The door to the swimming pool swung open, and a trashy looking girl ran in.

She was wearing oversized novelty sunglasses, and carrying what looked like an over-sized pokeball. Her flip-flops made smacking noises as she walked.

"Is this the uh, the uh, bonding class?" Dimitrius got a good whiff of her. She smelled like something, but it didn't appear to be pot.

"Um, no. This isn't a class, it's a test session for me" Dimitrius looked at the novelty ball. "Plus, even if it were a class, it would be a class to bond with water types, lady, what do you have?" Totodile jumped up beside him, and stared at the woman. Even it knew their was something wrong with her.

"Uh, no, I got a pokemon, see" She held up the ball, which flipped around, to reveal a face.

"TOTODILE" (HOLY SHIT!)

"Lady, drop that thing" Dimitrius yelled. "That's a Voletorb"

"Uh, really?"

"Voletorb" The Voletorb began to glow.

"Shit, self destruct. Totodile, use water gun, and blast it away"

"Toto" The torrent of water knocked the Voletorb out of the dazed woman's hand, and straight at the ceiling. When it hit, it exploded.

A Voletorbs self destruct can do lots of damage as is. When it explodes against a glass ceiling, which was already being hurt by the thundering storm outside, it tends to collapse.

"The roof" Dimitrius yelled. "Totodile, in the water" Totodile jumped in, as Dimitrius ran, and tackled the confused woman.

The glass shards fell every where, slicing Dimitrius to ribbons. The woman scooted out from underneath him, and looked down at the man. His eyes were closed, and neither he, nor Totodile could see her. Smiling, she flashed pink, transforming from a drugged woman to Mew, before vanishing in another flash.

The rest of the roof collapsed on top of Dimitrius, as the fire department was called. When it stopped, Totodile got out of the pool.

The pool was filled with glass shards, and their was no more roof, just a giant gapping hole. Totodile made its way to Dimitrius, who wasn't looking good.

A giant piece of glass was shoved through his neck, causing a large bleeding gash. His shirt was stained with blood, and his skull was red. Totodile wasn't sure what it could do.

"Hey dude" Dimitrius said. "We made it" Blood spurted out of his mouth, and he died.

"Hey, we've got one" The next thing Dimitrius remembered, was being loaded onto a stretcher, as he was lifted out of the wreckage.

"I don't get it, theirs barely a scratch on him"

"He sure is wet though"

"Totodile" Dimitrius rasped. "What happened to Totodile?"

"Totodile? We didn't find one"

* * *

"How long was it, before he discovered the truth?"

"A week later, in the hospital. Dimitrius told me he thought about Totodile, and boom, he was Totodile" Brian nodded, thoughtfully.

"Can I take a guess, your next?"

"Yeah, I'm next"

**Natasha – 20 years earlier**

"Okay, the game is simple" Natasha said, sitting behind a small table in front of an alley, "Three cards, pick the red, move ahead, pick the black, set you back. It's a three round game. The first round, you put up 20, and if you win, its doubled. Second round, you put up 40, same deal as last time" Natasha held up a tin can, that had the word BANK, written on it. "Third time, you put your money in the big bank, up to 300, since that's how much is inside. You must put up a minimum of what you've won. You win, you get what's inside, you loose, I get what's inside. Ready?"

A fat man stepped up, and laid 20 down. Natasha began to shuffle three cards she had on the table. "Come on sir, come on, big money, big money, no whammies" Behind Natasha, in the ally, sat a human like figure, covered in rags, so no one could see his face. The fat man pointed to the middle one, and Natasha snapped her fingers.

"Kadabra" said the person in rags, and a faint purple flashed. Natasha lifted up the card, ace of diamonds.

"Alright" Natasha gave him 20, and he put all of it back down. With 40 out, Natasha shuffled the cards. "Big money, big money" The fat man picked the one on the right. Natasha snapped her fingers.

"Kadabra" Another ace of diamonds. Natasha paid out 40.

"Kickass" The man exclaimed. He looked at the money, pulled out another 20, and put it in the bank. "I bet you've never had any one get this far?"

"Oh sir, more times then you could imagine" She shuffled the cards. The man pointed to the middle one, with a gleeful look. Natasha flipped it over.

"NO FUCKING WAY!" He yelled. Ace of spades.

"Well, I'm sorry sir, but" The man flipped over the cards on the other sides. Another ace of spades, and an ace of clubs. "Um" The crowd was now staring at her. Natasha put her hand on the bank.

"You fucking bitch, you cheated"

"You know what, your probably right, KADABRA, TELEPORT!" Natasha grabbed the cards, bank, and jumped back, as the man swung at her, and leapt towards Kadabra, still buried in rags.

"Kadabra" They flashed white, and vanished.

"We cleaned up"

"Kadabra" The two had re-appeared on the other side of Saffron. Sitting behind a restaurant, Natasha had all of their money out, counting it.

"400. Very good for a hard days grifting" The sun had set, and an orange moon hung in the sky.

"Kadab"

"Yes, yes, I know you get a share. What can you do with it? You can't spend money!"

"Dabra" They both knew it wasn't about money, but a sign of mutual respect.

Natasha had lived on the streets since she was a small girl, running away from a family of drunks. Kadabra had been thrown away by its master, back when it was an Abra, for only being able to use teleport, and trick.

The two had held together out of a mutual need. And, over the years, Natasha learned something very valuable.

When the attack trick, is used on humans, it can be used to make them believe what ever you wanted them to. They had a routine, Natasha would snap her fingers, Kadabra used trick. They cleaned up, usually.

"Okay, now we can afford rent. Lets face it, the place sucks." The two lived in a one room apartment, which would nicely be described as a "shit hole". "At least we're happy. Also, I can afford more hair dye"

"Kadabra" Natasha and Kadabra stood up, as a figure in black appeared in the entrance of the ally.

"Hey, little lady" He said, walking over to Natasha. Kadabra tensed up, their was something wrong with this guy.

"Can I help you?" Natasha said, turning to him. The guy stood a foot taller then Natasha, wearing low riding jeans, and a baggy hoody. 130 years in the future, this look still looks stupid.

"Yeah" Before Natasha could say anything, the guy had slammed her back to his, and had a knife at her throat. "I wanted to see if you taste good"

Kadabra began to glow purple, preparing to use psybeam. "I didn't know you had a pokemon with you. Tell it to stop, or I kill you"

"Kadabra" Natasha gasped. It looked at her, hurt this moron had a knife to her neck, and it could do nothing. "Kadabra…Blast him to kingdom come"

The man screamed, and shoved the knife into Natasha's neck, as deep as it would go. As he did, Kadabra hit him, and sent him flying into the air. It then rushed over, as Natasha slipped to the ground.

"Hey buddy" She said, smiling. "We win some, we lose some. I think I lost this one" Kadabra put its hand on the wound. He turned white.

"Kadabra?" It was like a vacuum in her neck, as Kadabra was sucked into the, rapidly closing, wound. Natasha even felt the blood drying up.

"Holy shit" Natasha stood up, completely unharmed. Suddenly, she heard clapping.

Clap-Clap-Clap. Natasha flipped, to see a man with red hair, his face obscured by darkness. "Who the fuck are you?"

"I heard the screaming."

"That was the other guy"

"I wish I had seen what happened to the other guy" Natasha shook her head.

"That's not important. Who, are you?"

"Well" The man said, stepping backwards, into a streetlight, "I'm Axle. I'm going to change your life"

* * *

"….How did Axle end up there?"

"Dunno, he said he knew he had to be in that section of Saffron, at that time"

"And you were a grifter? You ran a game of three card monte?"

"I did, and I'll tell you, I was and probably still could be the best that their ever was" Brian nodded. Now it was time to ask about the big one.

"You said you know every ones story. What about Axle's?"

"How old would you say Axle is?"

"I dunno, 23?"

"He's 78 years old" If Brian hadn't been gripping Jonah for dear life, he would have been flung to the ground.

"Wha?! How is that even possible"

"Sliders age slowly, but that's not part of the story. Now Axle came from Johto"

**Axle – 75 years earlier**

"Hello mother" The man and small child said to the grave stone with a Dragonair statue on it, "I know its been awhile since I've seen you, but I brought a visitor, say high" The little child was about three years old.

"Hi" He said in a small voice, "I Ax-le"

"Your name is Alex" The man sighed, "You'll learn to say it right someday, and if not, well I love you anyways" The two turned back to the tomb stone, which had a single name, Clair, written on it. "This was your grandmother Alex" The man traced his finger over her name, "She was a great dragon trainer, her cousin was possibly the greatest ever. Dragons are in our lineage, and one day you will be the greatest"

Axle didn't think much about this, you don't think much when you're three years old.

Axle and his father lived in a small house in Blackthorn city, on the edge of a river that flowed into the Dragons Den. Every day, when his father was in the gym, Axle was watched by his nanny Mrs. K. Except, Mrs. K often didn't pay attention, and Axle was just tall enough to reach the door knob for the door to the back yard.

It was just one of these days when Axle's new life was going to begin. Mrs. K was supposed to play with Axle in his room, but was instead in his fathers room, looking for things to steal. Axle decided he was bored, and went outside.

His back yard had one dead tree, and sloped downward, where it stopped a few feet over the river. The water was gleaming, so Axle decided to go down to the river, and see if any thing interesting was there.

Plopping down, Axle kicked his feet, still bored, until he saw something.

"Poke" He cried, jumping up. In the water was what looked like a blue and white sea serpent, a Dratini. It looked at him with its dark eyes, almost like it was examining him. It made a high pitched noise, before turning to swim off.

"Poke! No go!" Axle ran after the dragon, along the edge of the bank, his arm extended out as far as it would go. The dragon was much faster then the boy, but suddenly, it stopped. It turned its head around, seeming to be looking at something, then it nodded. Three year old Axle was to little to understand this, just like he was to little to understand what happened to him when something pushed him into the water. The last thing he saw was a flash of pink, before hitting the water.

"Little one, are you alright?" Axle was wet, water surrounding him. He opened his eyes, to see water, and dirt. He was laying on the edge of the river. In front of him, hovered a Dragonair, female by the voice.

"Whe-where am I?" Axle asked in a trembling voice. The dragon gave him a concerned look, as Axle checked out his own body. He had no arms, nor legs, but a serpent like body, covered with blue scales on the top, and white on his under belly. Axle thought this was wrong, but could not think of why, so he ignored those thoughts.

"You are near the dragons den" The female said, "Where are your parents?" He thought about this, but drew a blank.

"I don't know" Axle said. The Dragonair nodded.

"Follow me then, young one" She said, "I am Draigo, what is your name" One name echoed in his mind.

"Axle, I'm Axle"

* * *

"Wait" Brian suddenly butted in, "Axle was pushed?"

"Yep"

"But no one was there"

"At least no one visible. All I know is it was something small, and pink, but that's not important. Axle's story isn't done, it comes in three parts"

"What's the second one?"

**Axle – 64 years earlier**

"Your rather pathetic aren't you?" For all young Dratini and Dragonair, every day included a round of combat training. They trained in a large pool of water, which allowed for the Dratini to move more freely. The training was simple, you were assigned one opponent to face, and once one of you had defeated the other, you moved out of the pool. Now only two remained, a Dratini and a newly evolved Dragonair.

The Dragonair was named Kamel, and he was, for lack of better words, an asshole. The Dratini was of course, Axle, who now glared up angrily at the cocky dragon.

"Your weak" Kamel spat, "You haven't even evolved, and your fourteen already? You really are pathetic Omaria"

"Don't call me that"

"Why not, it's the perfect name. Omaria, outcast, it fits you perfectly" Axle let out a yell, and lunged at Kamel, only to be struck down by a thunder bolt from the orb under its neck. Axle let it hit him, and he then went limp in the water. "Pathetic" Kamel muttered, coming close enough to the water that the tip of his tail was dipped in.

_Perfect_ "Hey fuck face" Kamel did a double take as Axle sprung back to life, and fired a thunder-wave throughout the pool and up Kamel's body, paralyzing him instantly. As it fell, Axle slammed into it, and threw Kamel against the back wall of the cave area. "Your kind of pathetic, aren't you?" Axle taunted. The room erupted in cheers. Axle grinned, only then realizing he was glowing.

While his body evolved, Axle was seeing something in his mind. In his mind, all Axle could see was himself, not in Dratini form but as a Dragonair, and he could see a human. The human appeared to be a teenage, with shocking red hair. He smiled at seeing Axle.

"I've been waiting for this" The human said.

"Wh-who are you?" The boy grinned.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm you" Axle's jaw dropped.

"Your me? You can't be me! If you didn't notice, I'm a pokemon, not a human" The boy sighed.

"You don't get it, do you? Don't you wonder how you ended up here? Don't you wonder where your memories are? This isn't the way your supposed to be Axle, and I know it was a long time ago, but you have to remember"

_Remember_

"You need to remember, remember your earliest memory. Then go beyond it" Suddenly, the boy began to fade. "I'm leaving for now, but I'll be back, every night, until you remember"

"Axle" The Dragonite who monitored the group yelled, as Axle came out of his trance. "You've evolved" Axle looked at his body.

"Yeah, I have" He said. _But into what?_

* * *

"So his memories never left?" Brian asked.

"No, they just took a new form" Natasha sighed. "Well, now comes the fun part, the third part"

**Axle – 55 years earlier**

For every night sense evolving into Dragonair, following him well into his evolution into Dragonite, Axle was haunted by the dream with him and the human. The human aged with him, and taunted Axle, coming while he was asleep or awake.

"Why do you haunt me?" Axle cried to the human.

"I don't try to haunt you" The human said, "I need you to remember. Your training is done, and tonight you will remember"

"No" Axle cried, "You stay away"

"AXEL" Some one yelled, as Axle shot up in his sleep. Beside him was his mate, Lomanera, who had a concerned look on her face.

"I'm okay" She shook her head.

"No, your not. Something is wrong, you've woken up screaming for the last three nights" Lomanera embraced him, "Please, tell me what's wrong. Let me help you" Axle stood up.

"I need some fresh air, but your right, I'll be back in a minute. When I return, I promise I'll tell you everything"

Axle sat in front of the entrance to the Dragons Den, his legs curled up, staring at the moon. The moon was full, and its light bathed Axle, but it couldn't do anything to soothe his mind and spirits.

"You know why" The human said, sitting down beside Axle.

"Go away, you're all in my head" Axle whispered.

"I dunno, maybe your all in mine, did you think of that?"

"That doesn't even make sense" Axle growled to the human. The human sighed. "Do you know why you can't sleep?" Axle shook his head. "Its because every night, you've been getting closer, closer to unlocking your lost memories. Tonight, you will unlock them, in fact, I think its happening now"

"No" Axle cried, but he knew it was. He saw himself as a small child, he saw Blackthorn city again, and he saw his father. Axle stood up, as he felt something inside shift.

"Its time" The human said, as he faded away. Axle's body began to glow white, as he dropped a foot in height. His wings and tail sucked into his body, along with his muzzle and claws. Scales and muscle mass vanished, as human arms and legs appeared. Finally, the glowing stopped, leaving Axle alone and confused.

"I knew something interesting would happen" Axle jumped around, to see a Dragonair come out of the entrance of the cave, "If I followed you Omaria. You were always a freak"

"Kamel, go away"

"SHUT UP" Kamel screamed. "Thanks to you, beating me that day, I've been stuck in this form, I've never evolved. I haven't learned any new attacks, I haven't won a battle in so long I've forgotten, and its all your fault" Kamel swallowed. "But I'm a reasonable dragon. You leave, immediately, and never come back. If I don't, I'll tell them you can turn into a human and they'll kick you out, unless you think you can beat me" Axle shot him a dirty look. He knew he could beat him, but Kamel would just tell every one anyways. "Well Omaria, make up your mind"

Brian shook his head, as Natasha finished the story, "And he never went back"

* * *

"So, Axle never saw his friends, his mate, again?"

"No, never" Natasha sighed, "One thing we all have in common is we were outcasts, whether it be by self imposed exile, or the exile of a secret"

"Yes, but out of the outcasts and the ordinary will come something extraordinary" Brian said, "Or, at least its what I believe"

"I hope that's true, we're here"


	22. XXII

XXII : The Killer

"Christ, I need a cigarette" Julius muttered, sitting behind Grovyl's desk. Grovyl stood beside him.

"I thought you gave up smoking"

"I'll need a cigarette if I'm gonna deal with this guy" Julius sighed, "We never know what this fuckers gonna do"

"Why do we always use my office when we meet with him?"

"You think I want this freak to know where I work? I want him to know as little about me as possible" The door knob turned, "Shit, he's here, hello Mr. Rollan" Julius smiled, as a tall man walked in and sat down at the chair across the desk.

At first glance, the man sitting opposite of Grovyl and Julius did not look like a killer. Hell, he looked like a weenie.

The mans name was Rollan, and if you made fun of it, he killed you. He wore a sweater vest over a turtleneck shirt, white pants, shoes you could see your reflection in, and black gloves. His mahogany hair was combed back with hair jell, and he wore small sunglasses. He even had his eyebrow's waxed. The only clue to what he was, was the hunting knife strapped to his right pant leg.

"Mr. Rollan" Julius said, extending his hand. Rollan looked at it, then turned away. The boss redrew it awkwardly.

"Mr. Rollan" Grovyl began, "We're not going to waist your time"

"Then don't. My time is valuable, yours is not" Julius smiled a nervous smile. Grovyl was impressed by this guy, even the boss was scared.

Rollan turned to the Sceptile hybrid, "What do you need done?" Grovyl gulped.

"Um, uh"

"Uh? If you want me to do uh, you can go f-uh-ck your self" Rollan turned to the fish tank, with the sleeping Totodile. He put his hand in, and stoked the little guy. It flipped over, and bit his finger.

Rollan nodded, picked the Totodile out of its case, it still holding onto Rollans finger, and sat it down on Grovyl's desk. He then pulled out his hunting knife, and stabbed it through its back, causing it to let go, before pulling his knife out and putting it back, acting like nothing happened. Julius didn't comment.

"First, I want to say what a wonderful job you did on Mr. Kinnagen, I mean, really top notch"

"If I do any less, I am a failure" The boss nodded.

"We have a big assignment, and we think you're just the man for the job" Rollan shrugged.

"You know my price"

"Yes, one million Kanto dollars, or five hundred thousand Sinnoh sovereigns, we are fully aware. But, we're not sure if you've earned it"

"We are going to pay you" Grovyl said.

"But we need to know that you can complete the job" Now Rollan looked curious, as best you could when your face is chiseled out of marble.

"Julius, have I ever told you about my brother?"

"Uh, no" Rollan smiled a far away smile.

"Growing up in the Orange Islands, I only had my family, which was my brother, my sister, and my dad, and I had the ocean. I loved them both. One day, when I was eight, me and my brother, who was twelve at the time, went swimming in the cove behind our house. He wanted to show me that he could hold his breath under water for five minutes. As he went under, I took out a rock I had picked up on shore, and bludgeoned him over the head, until he was weak. Then I simply held him under, until he drowned"

"Why the fuck would you do that?!" Grovyl cried.

"I needed to know I could kill anyone, and if I could kill him, I could take any job. Who do you need me to kill?" Julius grinned.

"First, let me ask you some questions. You mentioned when you were 15, that you killed a Gyarados?"

"Yes I did. I climbed onto its head with a sharpened wooden pole, and shoved the pole through it eye, into its brain" Rollan gave the two a curious glance. "Why?"

"You also mentioned that you killed a Milotic last year?" Rollan nodded.

"I slit its throat from ear to ear, until its head nearly fell off" Rollan smiled, as if remembering some fun, distant memory. "The fucker hit me with a hyper beam"

"That's impossible" Grovyl said, "No normal person can be hit by a hyper beam and survive. Before the war, that move was banned in tournaments, when it hit a ref and killed him. No normal human should be alive"

"Normal?" Grovyl shivered.

"How were you" Julius continued, ignore Grovyl's obvious desire to throw up, "Able to kill something so beautiful and pure"

"It was a plus" The corners of his mouth twitched. "Killing that thing was the best part of my vacation" Grovyl knew two things about this guy. 1. He was obviously insane 2. He was the most wretched human being who ever lived.

But he was perfect.

"Last time, you mentioned you were in an advanced weight training?"

"I can lift 700 pounds" Rollan said, "Its nothing really"

"Now, tell me, do you know any thing about sliders?" Julius asked. Rollan thought about it.

"No, I know of them, but not what they are, only the name" Julius nodded.

"Sliders are people who can change into pokemon"

"Freaks" Grovyl murmured.

"They can only change into one. They are able to shift back and forth with ease. They could be any where, any one, or any thing" Rollan nodded again.

"Now, in the right hands, they could be a very powerful weapon, one capable of ending the war, or one capable of fetching a very high price. For the last year, we have been trying to capture one, and we finally stuck gold when we capture two sliders"

"Why in the world would you want two of these things"

"Since LifeForce was formed, we have been trying to create the ultimate solider, one for whom, the world is theirs. Upon discovering sliders for the first time, about two years ago, we knew they were the ultimate solider. So we created a machine, to make our own sliders"

"But something went wrong?" Julius nodded.

"Our candidate was changed into an Espeon, but he couldn't change out. Well, he was useless to us in pokemon form, so we planned on killing him. And wouldn't you know it, the little fucker used his powers to call the very sliders we were trying to capture.

"They ended up destroying our base at Meteor Falls, right around the time we began construction of this one. They took the little fucker, and they hid him, I suppose they thought we would look for him"

"And you want me to find and kill him?"

"No, he can't hurt us any worse. But, that's irrelevant. We tried every thing, and all we could do was slow down the time it takes the pokemon form to become permanent. So, we figure, if we had a slider to base calculations off of, we might be able to fix the machine. Along with the two sliders, we captured a human we have been using as a test subject"

"I suppose the blood coating the walls when I came here, had nothing to do with that person"

"Look, she doesn't matter, she is now on our side. As for the other two we have, they are going into deep storage, in case we need them again. There are still five of them out there how ever"

"It'll cost you a lot, if I'm going to kill all five"

"Parish the thought. No, we have a better idea. The loss of their teammates was a devastating blow, and we believe delivering another one might just smash these fuckers. We want you to kill one of them" Julius pulled out a picture, of Axle, "This one"

Rollan looked down at the picture of Axle. "What can he become"

"A Dragonite" Rollan nodded.

"What is my payment?"

"The usual, to be paid out upon the death of this Dragonite" Rollan shook his head.

"Dragonite's are hard to kill, when they're feral their intelligence is equal to that of a human. I'll need to be paid in advance" Julius grimaced.

"All right, one of my associates will be here in a moment" Rollan balled up the photo, and threw it at Grovyl. It hit him square in the forehead.

"I can kill him, but I need to be paid double my salary"

"Done"

**Authors Note : **Mr. Rollan isn't human, but even I don't know what he is. He's strong though.


	23. XXIII

XXIII : The Lake

The full moon cast an eerie light on the seven figures outside of the lake of rage. Seven of them were looking at one expectantly.

"Alright" Dimitrius said, as he morphed into Croconaw, "I'm going to jump in quickly, scan the area for any kind of security, then come back for you, alright"

"Alright, just hurry"

"On it" Dimitrius ran and leapt in, before leaping out two seconds later. "FUCK, fuck, fuck" Boils covered his scales, and the end of his tail was a raw red. Blood seeped out of his skin in various places. Dimitrius rolled in the ground, throwing dirt on him self, rubbing it in his eyes, anything to get the water off. When he finally stopped feeling the pain, he sat up slowly, changing back to human form.

"Something's wrong with the water"

"Man, what the fuck happened?" Jonah cried.

"The water" Dimitrius yelled, "Its not water, its acid"

"Fascinating" Cameron said, as he walked to the edge of the dark water. "I have a theory, is any one willing to stick their finger in the water?

"NO!"

"Oh well, I think I can explain it anyways. Now, any one who looks at Dimitrius knows that the pH level in the water is extremely low, but to do the amount of damage it did and as quick as it did, I would assume that the water has a pH level of zero or minus one"

"What would that mean?"

"It means this ain't water, its hydrochloric acid" Cameron was grinning now. "Its clever if you think about it. You can lower the pH level with various chemicals, and once you got it down to something like two, all the pokemon in the water would die and the bacteria in their body would lower it even more"

"What would be the point of this?"

"Don't you get it? The acid works better then any shield, it corrodes most metals quickly. Only altranium is completely resistant to corrosion, and even though its been around for sixty years its as expensive as hell to make, so you'd only stick it on a ship if you knew you were going to need it. If the base is made of altranium, they've got nothing to worry about. Also, you couldn't use water pokemon to attack he base, because hydrochloric acid attacks tissue cells" Cameron gestured to Dimitrius. "Case in point"

"Well, what do we do?"

"How were we going to get down there in the first place?" Brian asked, "I mean, Dimitrius you're the only water type anything here, we couldn't all hold onto you"

"Actually" Natasha said, "I would be the only one to hold onto him. Everyone holds onto me, I use protect to shield us from the water, and Dimitrius drags us until I can use teleport"

"Can't you just use protect and we all drop and sink" Max asked.

"Not exactly, when you use protect and drop into the water, you sink slowly, I mean really slowly. Suppose they have underwater camera's or something, they could see us if we move that slowly"

"We're protected by the darkness, and besides, we don't have any choice" Axle said, "Unless you think you could teleport us from here"

"Not a chance, we'd only make it half way, and then we burn" Natasha sighed. "Alright, every one put one hand on me" She morphed back into Alakazam. "Now, Max onto Brian's shoulder, Brian, make sure you don't trip"

"Wait, what" They began to run towards the lake, all holding onto Natasha.

"Okay, everybody jump" They group leapt off of the edge of the lake, Natasha activating protect before they hit the water.

"You weren't kidding Natasha" Brian said in surprise, "It really is slow" They were up to their wastes, as the water moved around them in the shape of a sphere. They sank like a stone in syrup.

"Brian" Max whispered in his ear, low enough for no one to hear. They had sunk deep enough to be completely submerged, and the darkness was all consuming. "Brian, can I ask you something"

"What Max"

"You know your going to die if you get to the base"

"I don't know I'm going to die, just get shot"

"No, you're going to die. Like I said, you're going to die, but your marching in anyways" Brian shrugged.

"Death isn't the enemy, death isn't something to be scared of" Brian said in a contemplative voice, "Death is an old friend, ready to escort you into somewhere. When you die, your never gone, your just going somewhere"

"How poetic" Brian nodded, smiling slowly. A rather nasty smell filled the protection jacket.

"I've always lived by three principals" Brian held up three fingers. "One, fear nothing, I've only got one life, I wont spend it afraid of a challenge. Two, question everything, I'm not going to spend my life as an idiot who believers everything he hears. Three, love all, I'm only going to be here once, and I will not hate anyone during that time"

"You know, you sound very brave" Max grinned, "It would be a lot more believable if you hadn't just pissed your self"

"Shut up Max"

* * *

"I'm here" Mew called in a happy voice, as he popped into the realm of the legendaries, "What did you want to see me about"

"Mewtwo still not coming?"

"He's waiting for me to die" Mew said cheerfully. "You said it was important" They nodded.

"As you know" Lugia said, "The war between the humans and the hybrids has reached a pinnacle of destruction, with the sinking of Sootopolis. The sacred valley has become the last hold out of wild pokemon, with all pokemon migrating even from Sinnoh and Orre. Now, something dangerous has come to our attention" On the big orb, came an image of a man.

"Yeah, he's an asshole" Mew giggled, "So what, he's no danger"

"Celebi, show Mew what you showed the rest of us" The small forest guardian pointed its arms at the orb, which instantly changed to an image of a barren wasteland.

"What is it?"

"The sacred valley, in two years" Mews jaw hit the ground.

"As you know" Polka growled, "Every pokemon is imprinted with the location of the sacred valley, and you can't find it unless you already know where it is. When a human and a pokemon merge into a slider, the information goes with them. Now, with all natural sliders, the human and pokemon personalities merge, and the mind has no interest in the destruction of the sacred valley. But, with these created sliders, the pokemon personality is completely removed, but the location of the sacred valley remains in their mind"

"The slider machine is going to be sold" Ho-Oh said, "And the group that buys it will destroy the sacred valley. Wild pokemon will go extinct, with hybrids and humans following closely behind"

"You've got that nice little resurrection ability" Mew said, "Surely you can just resurrect them"

"You gave the first Ho-Oh that gift" The current Ho-Oh growled, "You should know I don't have the power to do that, it might just kill me"

"Alright" Mew said, "Then we ignore the no interference rule, and we destroy the machine"

"Oh, we are going to interfere" Groudon said.

"But, in a different way" Lugia finished. Mew thought about it.

"What are you implying"

"Extermination" Ho-Oh said, "The absolute extermination of humans and hybrids" Mew looked at the giant bird, disbelief in its trusting eyes.

"How could you of all pokemon endorse extermination? You were a human, before you were selected to become Ho-Oh, your supposed to symbolize life!"

"They killed the Mespirits" Suicune growled, "They killed Latias, they've captured and killed most of our number"

"I'm sorry about Raikou" Mew said, "But you can't blame the hybrids for his death"

"I'm with Mew" Rayquaza said, to every ones shock, "I've been around a long damn time, I know that humans and hybrids have done terrible things, but I wouldn't help stop their destruction if I hadn't seen good in them also"

"I've saved humans from certain death" Articuno said, "And I've seen gratitude and kindness, I won't agree to mass murder"

"I think we should stop the machine" Celebi said, "I know how to change the future, this doesn't have to be the way things are"

"The humans and the hybrids care about nothing but destruction" Suicune said, bitterness dripping from her mouth, "The world was pure, and they have ruined it"

"I wouldn't strive for purity" Mew said, thinking of one enemy in particular, "It can lead you to do something stupid"

"Alright Mew" Lugia said, "You're the biggest defender of the humans and hybrids, please, give us one reason why we should save them"

"Several humans and hybrids are going to be very important in the future" Mew said, "They, and the sliders, have got several enemies who are yet to come"

"Surely, by exterminating the humans and hybrids, we could eliminate the enemies that are yet to come" Mew thought about it.

"Nope, you couldn't eliminate even half of them" Suicune gave out a shriek.

"We're getting no where, lets put it to a vote, extermination or not"

"Odd, isn't voting a human and hybrid concept?"

Jirachi didn't vote. It came back 15 to 4, in favor of extermination.

"It may be a coincidence" Rayquaza growled, "But democracy, a system of that gives the right to choose, is 51 of the group taking away that right from 49"

"Think what ever you want" Lugia said, as the orb turned to the sliders, "We wait. If they fail, we begin the extermination"

* * *

When you sink through murky water, through absolute darkness, knowing your headed to your death, you think about your life, and about what you would have said.

"Hey Max" Brian whispered.

"Yeah"

"I only want to see Rose again" Brian gulped, "If I don't make it, can you tell her something"

"Brian, I've never met her, I don't know if I feel comfortable"

"Max, you said you related to me because I was an outcast" Brian said slowly, "But, an outcast can get lonely, I know you are. Well, Rose and I came together because we filled an emptiness in each other. We live in exile, we are outcasts from society. Tell her, when I was with her, I only wanted to be an outcast. Tell her, she was what gave me purpose, and that the two years we spent together were the happiest of my life. Can you do that?" Max nodded.

By now, the bubble had descended to within 11 feet of the base. In front of them, was the giant silhouette of something metal, Brian guessed they were in front of the docking bay.

"Okay guys" Natasha said, "If I can get near enough to the metal for the bubble to touch it, I can get us inside" Unfortunately, they would not get that close.

If this were a story, the blocker shields range would only be inside the base, but this is not a story, and the blocker shield extended to ten feet outside the base in all directions.

"Alright" Axle said, as he shifted into Dragonite form, "Everybody get re-

His words were cut off by the bubble popping, and the sliders returning to human form, as the acid poured over them, burning them alive.

"Auuuugggghhhhh" Brian screamed, though none heard him. He cracked open his eyes, to see the outlines of the others. Floating in the water, scalding, unable to move, unable to escape, suspended in death. Blood filled his vision, his blood from his eyes.

_We're dying_ Brian gasped, before losing consciousness.


	24. XXIV

XXIV : The Life Savor Rose and The Horrible Mr. Rollan

**This chapter is dedicated to pikachuhunter1, thanx for listening**

Burning. The only thing any of them could feel was the burning. Brian knew he was dissolving in the acid/water. He couldn't feel Max or Natasha any more, he couldn't feel any thing.

* * *

Julius' camera's on the outside of the base recorded every thing. He watched the seven figures burn, and it shake with glee.

"Lets see, with these freaks gone, I don't have to pay that other freak Rollan to kill any one" Julius leaned back. "Of course, I already have, and that's a payment I can't take back. Also, he said he would have to kill some one… I can get him to kill Grovyl, if necessary" He pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. "I've got an auction to prepare for"

"You don't need me for what" Julius looked up, to see Rollan standing, watching him.

"What the fuck are you doing here, I sent you out yesterday" Julius screamed, "You were supposed to be out, looking for the sliders"

"I figured they would show up here" Rollan shrugged. "I decided I didn't need to leave"

"What about the ship I sent up with you"

"Killed the driver, took the ship back" Rollan said, "I've been here for the last 12 hours, and no one noticed"

"Well, your services will no longer be required"

"What do you mean"

"Your fired" Rollan sighed.

"I'm not leaving, I like it here. Also, when you come back to me, I want you to know I'll kill each of them, but your going to pay me ten times my fee for each of them"

"Why on earth would I need you to kill them" Rollan shrugged.

"You're a fuck up. Everything you touch turns to crap, and I've got a good deal of respect for these sliders, I know they're smarter then you. So, when your acid water fails, I expect my payment"

"I'll pay you nothing, get the fuck out of my office"

* * *

Ninetails had traded in a cement cell, for a velvet one. It was a very nice bedroom, probably for Grovyl, but now it was her cell, with a giant bed with silk sheets, a large desk which the only weapon Ninetails could get out of it was a marble ashtray. Ninetails wore a large black dress, which split at her naval, barely covering her boobs. The collar was still around her neck.

Their was one advantage however, the door was no longer locked, allowing Ninetails to come and go as she pleased. However, rather then leave, Ninetails was in a meditative position on the bed. She was in a trance, seeing inside her own mind.

In her mind, Ninetails could see her self, but in Roses body, and she could see something like a cocoon, all gray, in the corner of her and Roses collective minds.

_Rose!_ Ninetails cried at the black cocoon. She could here something on the inside, but could see nothing. Ninetails head-butted the cocoon. _Rose, you need to wake up, I need you_. Nothing, and Ninetails felt her self coming out of the trance.

"Nothing" She growled to her self, "I've got to get her out, but I can't deal with that now, I should go see what I can do about Stephanie and Horatio"

Ninetails left the bed room, and navigated back to the main laboratory. The lab was empty, aside from the slider machine, the computer panel that ran it, one empty tube, and the two tubes that kept Stephanie and Horatio encased in living death.

"Theirs got to be someway to get them out of here" She muttered, as she flipped the computer on, not hearing footsteps behind her, as it loaded.

"I wouldn't do that" Ninetails heart exploded, as she shot around, to find Rollan standing there, watching her. The surprise on her face dropped.

"Who in the world are you?" Rollan smiled, walking over to the tubes and knocking on Hortaio's.

"Beautiful aren't they? Like, a living wax works" He knocked on Stephanie's, "Probably the only wax works I want to bang. But, I wouldn't worry about them, if I were you"

"Oh really"

"Yeah, I'd worry about your other friends" Ninetails felt her stomach drop.

"My…other friends?" She asked in a nervous voice.

"Yeah, theirs about I dunno, six of them, and an Espeon" The Espeon didn't mean a thing to Ninetails, but the other six meant everything. "As far as we can tell. They tried to drop through the water using protect, except, when they hit the blocker shields, everything got shorted out, and now their in the water, feet away, drowning" Rollan tossed Ninetails a key card, "You can help them, if you can turn off the shields in the security room" Ninetails looked at the card, then back at Rollan.

"Why are you helping me" He laughed.

"They canceled my contract. No one cancels my contract"

* * *

"Hello boys" Ninetails called happily, to the two men in the security room. The two were looking at a large computer panel, barely looking up.

"Hello Madam Rose"

"Madam?"

"The boss told us to address you as that" One of the two men said. Ninetails walked over, and looked at a security screen between them. On the small screen, seven figures were outlined in murky water. Ninetails gulped.

"Boy, this looks complicated" She said in a faux airhead voice, "What would happen if I pushed that button?" One of the security men slapped her hand.

"Don't, its to complicated for you to understand" Ninetails nodded, as she placed her hands on the men's shoulders.

"Well, what would happen if I did this?" Ninetails smacked their heads together, knocking them both out. "Or is that to complicated, dumbass?"

She pushed the one on the left onto the floor, and pulled up to his security monitor. "This doesn't make sense, why isn't there an on/off button" Ninetails then noticed a cup of coffee sitting on top of the computer monitor, probably belonging to the security man. Shrugging, she picked up the cup, right as the door opened.

"Put it back Madam Rose" The security men said. Ninetails heard a gun click behind her, so she sat the coffee back down, gently. The two men came, and grabbed her under the shoulders. As they did, Ninetails returned to the trance she had been in earlier.

She stood back in front of the cocoon, once again in human form. Now though, things were desperate, Ninetails pounded on the cocoon.

_

* * *

_

Rose, please

Ninetails yelled, _Just let me in_. No response. _Their has got to be some where in_. She felt along the orb, feeling it completely smooth, no way in. _Wait, this isn't just her mind, its mine also, then this means_. A door knob appeared in front of her. _You can't lock me out Rose, this it my mind now, I'm coming in_. She twisted the knob.

The cocoon instantly sucked her in, and Ninetails found her self in Roses safe place. Suddenly, she was back in pokemon form. In front of her was a movie screen, and one row of chairs. In the center sat Rose. Ninetails walked over, and jumped up beside her. On the screen, Gene Kelly danced on a light pole.

"So this is where your mind retreats" Ninetails muttered.

"I've seen and heard everything that's already happened" Rose responded, "but I can't deal with it. I just needed to escape"

"I've got to ask, the movie"

"I always had a crush on Gene Kelly, when I was a kid" Rose said, "I know its silly, having a crush on a man whose been dead for 160 years almost, but he made me feel safe, and Singin' in the Rain has been my favorite move forever, it let me escape"

"We can't escape now Rose" Ninetails said, "We have to save the others, they need us to turn off those shields"

"But, what can I do? If you didn't notice, we're being dragged off" Ninetails nodded.

"I know, all I need is to get their hands off of us for five seconds, and I know how, but I need your help" Rose gulped, then nodded quickly.

"What do you need?"

* * *

As they dragged Rose out, her body suddenly began to convulse, causing the security guards to drop her on the floor. Her seizure ended, and she sat up slowly.

"Wha-what happened?" Rose asked in a meek voice, her hand reaching into the back of her dress. "Where's Ninetails? Who the fuck are y-you?"

"Boss, something's up" One of the security man said into his walky-talky, "The girl flipped out, and then she changed! Her voice sounds different and everything"

"It's the girls mind" Grovyl's voice squawked, "She can't do us any harm, leave her and make sure the pokemon didn't do any damage to the security panel"

"Yes sir" While they said this, Rose pulled out the marble ash tray from earlier, and tossed it at the coffee cup. It spilled all over the security panel, causing the cameras and shields to all shut off.

"FUCK" The guards screamed, as they ran over to check it out, giving Rose more then enough time to escape.

"You did good" Ninetails said.

"Thanks, but it was really simple" Rose said, as they ran out of the hallway, "They-"

The next words were cut off by Rollan, his fist slamming into Roses jaw, knocking her out instantly. He bent over, and hefted Rose over his shoulder, and took her to the first room he came upon, using Julius' key-card to open it. He dropped Rose on the ground, jarring her awake. She looked at Rollan slowly.

"W-why?"

"You see, I saw you earlier. I decided I wanted you, but the only way I could get you would be if Julius didn't want you, only then would I be allowed to have you"

"What makes you think I fuck you?"

"Sex?! Why on earth do you think I would want something as dirty as sex?" He was laughing. "Do you know what this is" Rollan asked, as he pulled his knife from his leg, it was covered with dry blood. "Every person I've killed with this knife, their blood is here. I can tell you each one by taste, like this one" Rollan touched his tongue to one smear, "A man in Viridian city. I drove my knife into his right ventricle" Rollan licked the serrated edge of the blade, a small drop of blood appearing on it.

"And when I drive this knife into your cunt, I'll have one of you to. Tell me" He whispered "Can you feel it already? The cold steel between your legs, like ice, freezing you on the inside. Can you feel the knife cut the layers of your pussy? Can you feel the cunt blood coat my knife? Tell me, what do you think cunt blood tastes like?" Rollan licked the side of her face, before standing back up. "Guards, she's in here"

The guards came in quickly, but before they could drag her away, Rollan leaned in, and whispered one last thing.

"I tell you these things, because no matter what you do, or where you go, you will never be safe. I will kill you, you wont know where or when, but I will kill you. The fear that you will have with you, I can feed off of that like your cunt blood"

* * *

Brian knew death was here. His skin was allmost gone, his blood flowed freely in the water, mixing with the blood of the others. Their bones would not dissolve, only their tissue.

Then, it began to go in reverse. Blood sucked back into their bodies, as all of their tissue cells fit back together like puzzle pieces. Brian could see again, one glimpse of pink, before passing out again from exhaustion.

* * *

"What do you mean they're gone!" Julius screamed at Grovyl through the intercom.

"We've got the camera's back up, but the shields are gone. All we know is the seven are gone" Julius let out an inhuman scream. "Fuck, I've got an idea. Put the girl in the empty tube, but don't freeze her"

"Yes sir"

"Bet you want to re-hire me now" Julius looked up, to see Rollan had sneaked up on him.

"Where did you? Never mind, I want to re-hire you"

"I'll take the original assignment, for ten times my fee"

"Done"

* * *

When Brian opened his eye's, it wasn't to see how the others were doing. It was because he wasn't racked in unbelievable agony. In fact, he wasn't even in water.

"Uh, what happened" He sat up slowly, to see he wasn't burned! Brian turned around, to see all the others with him, lying on their sides. Where was here though?

"Hey Max" he said, nudging the Espeon, "Wake up" Max opened his big eyes slowly, and took in his surroundings, before jumping to his feet.

The seven of them were on the edge of a metal platform, or loading dock. Behind them was water. In front of them was a small computer console, and a pair of closed, metal, double doors.

"Uh, what happened?" Natasha said, as she slowly sat up. Slowly, all of them stood up, and began looking at their surroundings.

"So, are we here?" Jonah asked.

"Of course, but how?" Natasha replied, "I couldn't get us with in 10 feet of the base"

"Maybe they shut down the shield"

"That doesn't explain the lack of burns on any of us. I doubt Natasha can use recover on all of us"

"Does it matter" Axle almost yelled. "We're here, aren't we? Lets go find Horatio, Stephanie, Ninetails, and Rose" Suddenly, they heard foot steps. The doors opened, and two grunts walked in.

"It isn't like we let the girl destroy the machine, the boss was stupid for letting her stay"

"I know, but does it matter?" It was at this moment they chose to notice the five humans, one Espeon, and one Dragonite all standing there.

"What the?" Axle used this moment to jump, and hit the first guard with his shoulder, full force. Before the other guard could move, Axle grabbed the other guard by the head, and slammed him into the metal railing. The others walked over, as he morphed back to human form.

"Well, that was stupid" Dimitrius said.

"Why?"

"Suppose they had information we could use?"

"They're grunts, what information could they have?" The first grunt opened his eyes, and watched with astonishment, as they argued. He may not have had power, but he did have one thing. From a hip holster, he removed his gun.

_Now, which one do I want?_ Not sure which one had been the Dragonite, he aimed his gun at the dumpy looking woman, with purple hair.

"Okay, lets wake them up, and ask them" Brian said, turning to look at the guards. One of them had a gun out, pointed at Natasha. "Oh shit, move" Brian screamed, pushing Natasha out of the way, as the man fired.

Although the shirt on Brian's chest had kevlar in it, it was not a professionally made shirt, and it was sewn together by several pieces of kevlar. As such, where two pieces are sewed together, their are small gaps, which a bullet could pass through and hit who ever wore the shirt.

The six all looked at Brian, as a blood red stain appeared on his chest. He barely acknowledged it, before collapsing to the ground.


	25. XXV

**Authors Note** : I despise fight scenes, you want a good one, go to Delta Knight. So I tried something different in this chapter, less fighting, more realism. Hopefully it worked.

XXV : The Battle

Brian went down hard, blood spurting out of his chest. Natasha grabbed him, but hit the ground with him on her lap.

The group stared at Brian for just a second, as the information began to process. The grunt who fired began to hyperventilate.

Axle, still in Dragonite form, rushed him, and lifted him up by the neck. The grunt was crying.

"Please, please, don't kill me!!" Axle turned, and dangled the grunt over the railing, and above the water.

"Your in luck" Axle said, "The first rule is do not kill, and I doubt my dying friend" he gestured to Brian, "Would want me to kill you" The grunt gagged, vomit appearing in the corner of his mouth. Axle wrinkled his nose. "Instead, I'm going to give you the chance to prove your worth, where are the prison cells?"

"I won't tell you, you can't make me" Cameron walked over beside Axle, in Raichu form.

"Oh, don't worry" He said, sparks shooting from his cheeks, "If Axle can't make you, I know I can" The grunt squealed.

"The hall your looking at is the main hall. There are four others down it, two to the left, and two to the right. The second on the left is the prison hall" Axle moved the grunt back over the railing, "But, if your looking for your friends, they won't be there"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if your friends with those three sliders, two of them are in deep freeze in the main lab, and ones about to go under"

"How do we get to the main lab?" The grunt struggled, and kicked at Axle's arm. Nothing. Axle closed his clawed hand tighter.

"Its down the main hall, straight down" The grunt wept. Axle smiled, his Dragonite face giving the illusion of happiness.

"Wasn't that easy?" The grunt nodded. Axle slammed his head on the rail, leaving him unconscious. They then returned to the group.

"Somebody has to stay with Brian" Axle said.

"I don't need any one!" Blood appeared in the corners of Brian's mouth, "I'm fine"

"I'll do it" Max said, "Its not like I can contribute anything to the battle"

"I'll stay to" Natasha said. This brought a wave of out cry.

"Natasha, we need you"

"Your one of our strongest people!"

"Natasha" Brian struggled, "I'm okay" She shook her head.

"I've made up my mind, go"

"No Natasha" Brian growled, "Go" Natasha bit her lip, and nodded.

* * *

The five waved good-bye to Brian and Max, knowing they might never see Brian alive again, before heading down the main hall.

"Man, something isn't right" Dimitrius said.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure this place is wired for security, yet there are no guards, no alarms, nothing! Its wrong"

"Maybe we got luck" Jonah said.

"Jonah, even you can't be that fucking stupid"

They came upon the end of the hall, and the entrance to the lab. It had a security console, and a pair of blast doors, but the doors were rolled back. The four entered, to find not a soul.

Well, not a LifeForce soul.

"Let me out you fuckers" a muffled voice screamed. The five turned, to see three glass tubes, two with Stephanie and Horatio suspended in them, and one with Rose, trying desperately to get out.

"Rose?" Axle asked. "Shit, I'll get her out, you guys get Steph and Horatio" Axle returned to Dragonite form, and marched over to Rose's cell. "Get back"

Rose pressed her self flat against the back of the tube, as Axle pulled his fist back. It began to glow, and he smashed it through the glass, before helping Rose out of the tube.

* * *

Julius and Grovyl watched all the events unfold, from a TV on Grovyl's desk. Rollan sat, twiddling his thumbs, looking bored.

"Are the troops ready?"

"Their waiting for the final go ahead" Julius smiled, only his top teeth showing.

"This will be their greatest test" He leaned back in his chair, and faced Rollan, who was sitting across from them. "If they take out all but the leader, imagine how much more we could sell the machine for! Of course, they can't take on that Axle, he's got to much experience. I thought I hired you to take care of him" Rollan shrugged.

"You canceled my contract"

"And when they suddenly appeared inside my base, I hired you again"

"I'll do it when I feel like it" Rollan propped his feet on Julius' desk. "Get me a beer"

"Get one your self" Julius said, standing up and heading to the door. Grovyl followed close behind. "I'm going to see my products in action. If your not out here in five minutes, your fired"

"No I'm not" Rollan called.

* * *

Stephanie and Horatio both threw up the gel, as the sat on the ground, trying to stay awake.

"This feels like some one ran a spike through my skull" Stephanie muttered.

"At least you still have a skull" Horatio shot back. "I haven't hurt this much since I was back with the Flying Garnosos" Cameron and Jonah helped them to their feet.

"What happened?" Stephanie stammered, "All I remember was being hit with a net"

"Me two"

"I think this is where we can come in" Rose said, moving away from Axle, and slowly moving to the swaying sliders. Before she could explain a thing, the sound of foot steps from the back hall filled the room. All the sliders turned to the entrance, although Stephanie and Horatio had trouble staying up. The entrance that the sliders came in was suddenly shut by a large pair of metal blast doors slamming closed. But they didn't have time to pay attention to that.

A unit of LifeForce soldiers, marching like nazi's, entered the room. Louise was in front, grinning smugly. The soldiers marched down the stairs, and stood in a straight line, across the room from the sliders. Julius and Grovyl appeared on top of the stairs.

"Greetings, assorted soldiers and sliders" Julius said. "My name is Julius, leader of the human army, commander of LifeForce"

Even though only Rose and Ninetails knew that Julius was running both the war and LifeForce, the news didn't shock any one.

"Uh, why aren't my soldiers shocked?" Julius asked Grovyl. The hybrid shrugged.

"I thought your idea of using me as your dupe could get my killed eventually, so I told them the truth"

"We know who you are Julius" Axle spat, "What do you want with us?" Julius laughed.

"Oh, where to begin? Well, I needed your friends so I could fix my machine" Julius gestured to the tube contraption, "And I didn't need your other two friends, but they ended up being great test subjects, tell them what you can do darlin" They all turned to Rose.

"He used us to test the fixed slider machine. He put me and Ninetails in"

"But" Ninetails said, switching over seamlessly, to the shock of all, "Things didn't work quit the way they wanted them to. We've got two minds in one body"

"Yes, yes, we're all aware of your problem, little bitch" Julius said, "But, that's irrelevant" He turned to his soldiers, eight of them. "This is your final test, the eight of you are to fight these freaks. If you lose, you die" Ninetails head snapped up when he said bitch. Something, familiar, but where?

"Yes sir" All eight of them said in unison.

"Well, what are you waiting for? GO!"

* * *

It was a strange sight, 16 people changing all at once. The sliders changed into their usual forms, while the soldiers down the row changed into a Metagross, a Victreebel, a Fearow, a Poliwrath, Louise, a Gardevoir, a Tyranitar, and a Luxray.

Louise had a large metal contraption attached to his head, with several metal wires attached to various parts of his jaw. He smiled, showing a mouth full of metal he couldn't part. When he changed, the metal thing stayed attached to his head.

"Louise is mine" Rose and Ninetails screamed in unison, "Take who you want, Louise is mine" Louise looked at her excitedly.

"Whg nght cajhg hjf fhsl" (We need to clear the room) Louise said, as electricity sparked up. He fired a thunder bolt at the slider machine. Ninetails, not to be out done by the Jolteon prick, used a flame-thrower on it, causing the machine to explode.

"MY MACHINE!" The tables went flying, eventually hitting the back wall, resulting in a bare room, perfect for fighting.

"GO" Julius screamed, "GO GO GO"

* * *

Jonah didn't have the advantage against any one, so when the Fearow rushed him, he took it on.

The Fearow was attempting to use drill peck, as it soared towards Jonah. Jonah, being much more experienced in flight, dipped lower, and the Fearow sailed over him, hitting the back wall.

The Fearow was far from done, whipping back, and going after Jonah with the same attack. This time, Jonah soared upward, but the drillpeck hit him in the chest.

_Okay, now I'm pissed_ The Fearow attempted to follow Jonah, who suddenly began dodging back and forth, jumping around the top of the room with extreme speed, getting closer and closer. Suddenly, Jonah slashed, hitting the Fearow hard.

The Fearow almost hit the ground, but soared back up, as high as you could go in a room with 20 ft ceilings. The two eyed each other.

_This guys a boob, I need to end this_ The Fearow rushed at Jonah, pecking rapidly. Jonah dodged, once again jumping around wildly, but not planning on using ariel ace.

"What are you doing you little fuck?" The Fearow cried, as Jonah jumped. Suddenly, Jonah appeared behind Fearow, his wings glowing. Jonah slammed his steel wing into the back of Fearow's head, causing it to fall and hit the ground.

"And that's how its done"

* * *

Rose/Ninetails and Louise circled each other slowly.

"Yfhlscj cvhgn lenhtv" (You can't beat me little girl). A jolt of electricity shot off of his back, met by a small stream of fire from Ninetails.

"I don't care what you said" Ninetails growled, "We're going to make sure you never hurt another person again" With that, Rose/Ninetails leapt straight up and fired a flame-thrower at Louise. Louise shot forward using quick attack, as the women hit the ground. They faced each other again.

"Yhcshs fhsnasdd" (I had to much hope, you're fucking pathetic) Sparks crackled from his spines, as Louise fired a thunder-wave right at the women. Had he not talked and just fired, he would have done in moments before they flashed white, and safeguard took affect.

The thunderwave hit head on, but did nothing. Before Louise could react, Rose/Ninetails charged, slamming head first into his skull, and flipping him on his back. They leapt up, and fired a fire blast right at him, but he rolled quickly to the left, barely avoiding getting hit.

Louise leapt up, to find several balls of black fire rush at him. He was unable to avoid them, and the resulting burn caused him to stumble. Rose/Ninetails locked eyes with him, using leer. Suddenly, his body siezed up. The women then sat down, and simply stared at the frozen man

"Wheh fnthn tjsnm?"

"You want to know why we did this?" Rose/Ninetails asked. "You want to know why we're not attacking? Because of the pain we went through, the pain you put us through, you hurt us, and then watched" They leaned in, "And now we're going to do the same.

"How much does that burn hurt Louise? Your in amazing pain. If you change back to human form, it would stop, and sense I've only paralyzed your pokemon form, that might be a good idea. Except, imagine what I could do to you as a human Louis. Well, what're you going to do?"

Louise felt tears run down his face. He couldn't take the pain, and decided to risk it. "Bad idea Louis"

Louise began to glow white, as his human form returned. The glowing faded, right as Ninetails launched a skull bash at his broken jaw. The pain was 1000 times more intense, and he passed out instantly. Rose/Ninetails looked over his unconscious body coldly.

"Your in luck" They muttered, "We can't drag it out. We don't have the heart to be you" With nothing more to say, they spit on him.

* * *

Stephanie eyed the Victreebel, wondering why anyone would choose such a stupid pokemon to merge with. Suddenly, the giant bulb slung razor leaves at Stephanie, but at such a slow rate she simply tapped them with her blade as they came near.

"Okay, that didn't work" Victreebel cried, "But this will" It spit a stream of black sludge out of its giant mouth, but the sludge was so weak Stephanie let it hit her.

"Um, what was that?"

"I don't get it" It cried angrily, "Sludge bomb is a poison type move"

"…So?"

"So, poison type moves are super effective against insect type!" Stephanie sighed, and shook her head. _The stupidity of this person is astounding. Oh well, time to end it_

Before Victreebel could move, Stephanie leapt up and came down with a quickly slash, using ariel ace. Victreebel gasped.

"But, I'm poison type?!"

"Your also part grass type"

"I am?" Stephanie groaned, and pushed the bulb over with her blade.

* * *

Dimitrius was paired off against Poliwrath, who instead of letting Dimitrius make a move, had jumped in with a barrage of punches and kicks. The two were about the same size, but Dimitrius was significantly faster, and he kept catching the punches before they hit. But he was getting tired, and needed to end it.

"Hey Natasha" He cried.

"Yeah?"

"What's good against" Suddenly, Poliwrath landed a weak punch on Dimitrius' muzzle. Dimitrius growled, and fired a hydro pump that sent the tad pole flying.

"What's strong against Poliwrath?"

"Uh, grass, flying, electric, and psychic" Poliwrath had leapt back up, and leapt at Dimitrius with a high jump kick.

"Natasha, would you mind"

"No problem" Poliwrath began to glow, as Natasha used a quick psychic, slamming it up against the ceiling, and down again, before it passed out.

* * *

"That's the best they've got?" Rollan crackled. He was sitting behind Grovyl's desk, laughing his ass off. He finally stopped, and turned off the video monitor, not wanting to see anymore.

"I want what they do, when we fight, to be a surprise" Rollan laughed. "Yeah, we're going to have a ball"

* * *

Horatio was fighting the Tyranitar, who was currently attempting to land a single blow, rotating between iron tail and brick break, Horatio narrowly dodging each one. But he knew it couldn't last long, because Tyranitar was faster then him, scary as that might seem.

Suddenly, the ground under Horatio began to shake, slamming him hard on his back. He couldn't move fast enough, and Tyranitar brought up its glowing tail, before bringing it down hard.

"What the fuck?!" Horatio had grabbed hold of the iron tail, and now used all of his strength to stop it, until the glow faded. In front of every one, Horatio pulled him self up, still holding Tyranitar by the tail, and then flung the giant rock pokemon straight up.

"How the fuck?!"

"I've had a lot of experience" Horatio leapt up, and slammed skull branch first into the blue rhombus on Tyranitar's chest, knocking the fucker out instantly.

* * *

Cameron got stuck fighting Luxray, though why was beyond him. Surely it would have been better for Horatio, who would have known ground type moves. Oh well, what was done was done, and now Cameron was avoiding thunder bolts as Luxray chased him, trying desperately to hit the little rodent.

"Hold still, and let me kill you" It snarled.

"Nuh-uh, don't thinks so" Luxray screamed, and shot off a shock wave. As the weak electricity was about to hit Cameron, he leapt over it, and onto Luxray's head, and since shockwave never misses, it hit the two of them head on.

Cameron was knocked off Luxray, who was able to keep its balance, and sent sprawling on the floor. Before he could get up, Luxray pounce, using thunderfang, and bit down hard on Cameron's head.

A curious thing happened. The electricity from Luxray was absorbed into Cameron, and Luxray was suddenly paralyzed.

"W-what happened?" Cameron laughed, as he pulled his head out of its mouth.

"Well, the Raichu I was merged with, Volt, he was trained to absorb extremely high amounts of electricity, a trait I've been able to carry on. As for your paralysis, that would be my special ability, static, at work"

"But, that's wouldn't work, I'm electric type!" Cameron gave it a confused stared.

"Static works if your electric type"

"It does?" Shaking his head, Cameron fired a thunderbolt into Luxray's underside, blasting it up and backwards.

* * *

"It does" Grovyl mocked. Julius was shaking his head, trying to figure out how this disaster started.

"I don't get it" Julius cried, "H-how are they not winning? They're bigger, the pokemon I selected are strong, Lord knows Tyranitar and Metagross should be just mowing them down"

"You can't be that stupid, can you?" Grovyl cried, exasperated. "They have no experience, they know, maybe, three attacks, and the pokemon they merged with were speed evolved. Your doomed"

"Really?"

"Yep"

"B-but how? I worked so hard, I spent a week thinking of just a good lineup to have"

"That's the scary part"

* * *

Natasha was fighting Gardevoir. A very pissed off Gardevoir. It wasn't attacking, rather, it was just staring at Natasha, seething with rage.

"Uh, excuse me"

"What?"

"Isn't their something we should be doing? Shouldn't you be, I dunno, attacking me?" Gardevoir locked eyes with Natasha.

"What gender would you say I am" Natasha shrugged.

"Female?" Gardevoir screamed.

"I'm a GUY!" Doubles of it spread out in a circle around Natasha. She quickly used protect, as they began to fire shinny leaves at her.

"How did it learn magic leaf? Never mind, just remember, never piss off gender-bender Gardevoir"

Protect ended, as Gardevoir fired off a shadow ball. Natasha teleported at the last moment, and re-appeared a few feet behind Gardevoir. He jumped around to face her, as her eyes glowed blue. He glowed blue for a moment, but nothing happened. _That'll come in handy later_

Gardevoir fired off a psybeam, which Natasha matched with one of her own. It only took a few seconds for it to become obvious, Natasha was stronger. Gardevoir laughed, and teleported.

Natasha jumped 180 degrees, but Gardevoir re-appeared beside her, and fired a shadow ball. She flipped twice, landing one her back. Gardevoir took a running jump, and landed on her stomach. He summoned another shadow ball.

"Now, I end you"

"Hey, remember that attack I did earlier, that seemed to do nothing?" Gardevoir was suddenly flung upward, into the ceiling, as psychic energy ripped through him. "Future sight takes time you know"

* * *

Axle and Metagross faced off against each other. Metagross was now panting, its steel skin badly tarnished. Axle barely looked fazed.

Suddenly, Metagross lunged at Axle, its front right leg up and its claw glowing. Axle caught the meteor mash before it could hit him, and stopped it cold, his claws digging into the steel.

"W-why do you fight us" Metagross choked, "Why do you fight a war you can't win?" Axle shrugged.

"Blessed are the peace keepers, for they shall be called sons of God" It laughed.

"Fascinating. Hey, were you expecting this?" Metagross opened its mouth, and fired a tremendous hyperbeam, hitting Axle at point blank range. When the dust cleared, Axle still held Metagross' claw, and seemed unaffected.

"Pathetic, were you expecting this?" Axle opened his mouth, and fired a flame-thrower. Metagross cried once, and collapsed. "You've gotta love TM's"

* * *

"Well, we finished that easily" Axle laughed, as Julius collapsed to his knees. Grovyl shook his head.

"With the performance of those eight, you wont be able to give that machine away" Julius screamed.

"Call every grunt, every grunt we have, and tell them" Suddenly, Grovyl's walky-talky crackled to life.

"This is Grovyl"

"Sir, this is LifeForce operative Simms. The entire force has been knocked out. Dear God sir, it came out of know where, and it looked so harmless"

SCREEE! Everyone turned to the blast doors, as slowly they were pulled open. Pink light filled the room.

"Alright everyone, get ready" Axle said, "Something's coming"

"Uh, guys" Cameron asked, "Does any one here singing?"

"Rain drops keep fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'" The voice from the hall sang "Because I'm free"

_Nothing's worryin' me_


	26. XXVI

**AN :** This one let me flex my philisophical muscles a bit, and write some semi-cool killing scenes. This chapter is dedicated to srgeman, with out whome, none of this would have been possible

XXVI : The Death

Brian's head lay on the cold metal floor, as Max looked down, his eyes tearing up.

"Guy's don't worry" He rasped, "I'm fine. Okay, I'm not indestructible, but who is"

Max cracked a small smile, but a tear fell anyways. It fell, and stopped in mid-air. Brian reached up, and touched it.

"Um, Max?" Brian turned his head to the Espeon, "Max?" Max was stiff as a board. Brian reached up, and poked him.

"What's going on?" Brian then realized he could move his arm! He looked down at the bullet hole. "It stopped bleeding, I don't feel any pain! I'm going to live!"

"Not exactly" a childish voice said. Brian pushed himself up, until he was sitting up, and saw Mew floating in front of him, glowing pink.

"Okay, time froze, and now theirs a Mew floating in front of me" Brian shook his head, "What's sad is, this isn't the strangest part of my week"

Mew floated to him, and helped pull Brian up. "Um, thank you?"

"You're welcome" It responded. Brian scratched his head.

"Um, how did you freeze time?" This got a laugh.

"A friend of a friend helped me. I don't think I needed help though, I can do just about anything"

"Can you heal me?" Brian asked, excited.

"Now that I can't do" Upon hearing a groan, Mew tried to comfort him. "Brian, no one can stop death. No one in this world, human, pokemon, hybrid, or all of the above can stop death. Your life will end today" Now this brought tears.

"But, but why? I die before seeing Rose, or seeing these LifeForce bastards pay" Mew shrugged.

"Death comes for every one"

"Not you"

"I'm special. Trying to stop death, is like trying to stop a charging Rhyhorne by running into it. No matter how fast you run, that Rhyhorne is going to send you into the next life" Brian nodded, sullenly.

"So I'm dead?"

"Unless that hole in your chest is a fashion statement" Mew laughed, "What did you expect"

"I dunno, angles singing, fixed stars, St. Peter ready to test my faith, St. James my hope, and St. John my love"

"You're not Dante, you're really dead. But hey, you get to see me! Not many humans get that" Now Brian was confused.

"Why did you come to see me?" He asked, scratching his head.

"You're special, you and the others are very important in events that haven't happened yet"

"Special, special how?"

"You see, the world is constantly in trouble, except it can't be saved by people who fight and kill. Violence breeds violence, death breeds death. It needs to be saved by the peace keepers, by the ordinary turned extraordinary. Well, guess what, you guys are those ordinary people!"

"You mean, we're destined to save the world?"

"Uh, no" Brian gave the legendary a confused look. "Destiny isn't, oh boy this will take a while to explain" Mew smiled, "You want a snow cone?"  
"No"

"Good, because I want a muffin" Suddenly, a banana nut muffin appeared in Brian's hand.

"It's a muffin" Brian muttered. Mew nodded. "I've met Mew, and it gave me a muffin, and I can't tell any one about it"

"Would you want to, they would think your crazy" Brian shrugged.

"Eh, fuck em" Mew laughed.

"Well, lets get back to me explaining how your friends are special, but I can't do it here. Lets go somewhere else"

"Where to"

"You'll see"

They were there instantaneously. Brian was floating in a vast emptiness, with Mew beside him. Under his feet sat the earth, not turning, paused perfectly.

The sun was brighter then anything, but Brian's eyes didn't hurt as he looked at it. Turning behind him, he saw the surface of the moon, he could see every crater and ridge perfectly.

"This is beautiful"

"I know, it really is" Sound shouldn't have been able to move, but, then again, Mew shouldn't have been able to freeze time. "Now, where were we"

"You were trying to explain how my friends are special, then you mentioned something about destiny" Brian took a bite of the muffin, perfect.

"Oh yeah, your friends" Suddenly, behind Brian and Mew appeared a long silver line, with several other, smaller silver lines branching from it. "To explain how their lives will work, lets take a look at yours, shall we?

"Every line branches out of the starting point of the center line, the starting point is when you were born. Now, the center line is the best way your life could turn out, with the other small branches being various other ways your life could happen. Oh look" Mew cried, touching the end of a small branch, "This ones, you know" Brian moved beside Mew, writing could be seen on the end of the line.

"Dies by gunshot wound" Brian sighed. "So, I'm really dead"

"Yes, how many times do I have to tell you that? You are dead. DEAD" Mew sighed, "And I tried so hard to avoid this, I mean, do you know how much effort I put trying to make sure your life stayed on the center path? Do you know how much time I've poured into the others? Collapsing that roof on Dimitrius, drowning a three year old Axle?"

"WAIT?!" Brian screamed, "You did that? You were the stoned woman? And you were the pink blur?"

"I had to make sure everything happened the way it did. You see, the enemy they're fighting now, isn't the only enemy they're going to fight"

"Of course not. Do I even want to know how many there are over all?"

"Five"

"Oh goody! Five! Do you know their names?"

"Yep" Brian nodded.

"Will you tell me?" He finished off the muffin. Mew seemed to think about it for a minute.

"Mmmm, no"

"Why not?"

"It doesn't work that way"

"You can't tell me, or won't?"

"A little of both, really" Mew saw Brian was looking depressed at this. It put its paws on his shoulders. "I can't tell you their names, but I can give you a little information"

"Alright, bring it on" Mew nodded.

"Well, like I said, there are five. They are the murder man, the ancient evil, the living dead, the puritan, and the fifth one who I can only call the destroyer"

_Odd name_ Brian thought to himself, "And I must assume that we are fighting the first enemy, the murder man?"

"Yep"

"So, its who ever is running LifeForce I must assume" Mew shook its head.

"Uh, no, the snake in the grass running LifeForce is to stupid. I can't explain who the murder man is. It would work a lot better if I just show you, CELEBI"

"I'm here!" The little green pixie thing cried, shooting up beside Mew. Brian's eyes bulged.

"You're! You're! Do you know who you are?" Celebi looked at Mew, who nodded.

"Yeah, he's like that, but that's not important. Can you drop us off a few minutes in the near future, you know where" Celebi giggled.

"Coming right up" Brian's body felt like it was being put through a taffy puller, as every thing seemed to stretch around them. Space disappeared, and the three were in the main laboratory of LifeForce. Every one was in human form, but paused. Brian noticed standing on top of a small set of stairs, in front of the entrance to a back hallway, were Julius and Grovyl.

"So, the biggest pair of chuckle heads in the world are running this thing" Brian muttered.

"Okay, they can't see us or hear us, right?" Mew asked. Celebi nodded, and re-started time.

Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap. Every one, including Brian, turned to the back hallway, where the clapping was coming from. "Now Brian, pay attention, this is the murder man"

"Out of my way, losers" A calm voice said, as Julius and Grovyl were pushed to their sides. Rollan stepped over them, dressed in a brown leather jacket over a cream colored sweater, stone colored pants with a knife strapped to them, and black gloves and shoes. He looked at the sliders with a sick grin, as he hopped down the steps.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Why, I'm Mister Rollan, and I'm here to kill, not you, not you.., you!" He exclaimed, pointing at Axle. "But I think I'll kill the rest of you as well, we can't have a group of people stronger then me"

"You want to fight me?" Axle asked, "You've got it" Mew nudged Brian.

"Pay attention to Rollan, watch carefully" Rollan reached to his back, and under his sweater, as Axle began to change into Dragonite form. Faster then the blink of an eye, Axle finished glowing, and Rollan whipped out a small hand gun, and fired between Axle's eyes, causing the back of his skull to explode in a confetti of blood and bone fragments.

Rollan then flipped around to face the group, and fired twice more, one shot hitting Natasha in the left eye, and one shot hitting Cameron in the neck, spraying blood as it tore through him.

He turned to fire at Dimitrius, but Horatio, already metamorphed, leapt in front of him. Rollan kept firing, until the gun was out of bullets. He then threw the gun, which Horatio caught and crushed between his bulb like fingers.

"Alright, I'm impressed" Rollan laughed. "Now watch this" Rollan leapt over Horatio, and landed behind him. In one fluid movement, he pulled out his knife and cut Dimitrius' throat, killing him instantly. Rollan grabbed Horatio, as he jumped up and around, and flung him.

Horatio was flung at Rose and Stephanie, right as Rose fired a flame-thrower (Brian had yet to comment on her metamorphosis). Horatio's flying body cut through Roses flame-thrower, sailed over her head, and hit Stephanie, knocking both of them out.

Rollan used this momentary distraction, to take a running jump, and land on Rose's back, slamming her to the ground and breaking her spine. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. "I'm sorry about this, I'll deal with those two, and then we'll have some fun"

Rollan calmly walked over to Stephanie and Horatio, who had both returned to human form, and stabbed them both in the chest, one quick stab to the heart. He then turned his attention to Rose. She had also returned to human form, and was defenseless, as Rollan did things to her with his knife that are two horrifying to describe.

When it was done, Rollan gave Rose a kiss on her dead lips. He then bent down, and lapped at the blood flowing from her legs. Mew nodded to Celebi, who paused time again. Brian collapsed to his knees.

"You didn't seem that shocked by Roses transformation" Brian shook his head.

"I-it hasn't really set in yet. What is this man?" Mew and Celebi both scowled, as best as they could.

"He's the spawn of demons from Judecca. His existence is blasphemy. Humans, hybrids, sliders and pokemon are all the same to him, vessels of pleasure. He is stronger and faster and smarter then any human, and most pokemon. LifeForce's success hinges on him" Brian gulped, and turned to the two legendaries.

"Take me back, please"

* * *

They returned to Max, still frozen. Brian lay down on the ground, and put his head on the cold floor. Celebi vanished, but Mew lingered behind.

"Why did you show me these things Mew?"

"Brian, tell me, what small thing could change the outcome of the entire battle?" Brian thought about it for a moment.

"The gun?"

"Exactly"

"I still don't understand! Just because I know, I can't change anything!"

"I know, but you are dead. This life is done. But don't worry, it will make sense soon enough" Brian would have argued more, but he felt the pain returning to his body.

Time unfroze, as Max's tears hit Brian on the face. Blood appeared in the corner of his mouth.

"I…Died" He said, allmost questoning it, before his eye's glazed over. Max whispered something, some kind of protest, but it didn't matter.

Brian McKay was dead.


	27. XXVII

**AN :** One last fun chapter, then we get serious. Also, this chapter is dedicated to Capybara 773, for being the first person to flame me, by writing a really long review, that seems like a critical review, with out bothering to read the damn story. Well, to you my dear jack ass, I give you a two bird salute.

XXVII : The Rebirth

Max sat with an unconscious Brian, hoping against hope he wouldn't die. Blood poured out of the wound on his chest. Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

"Wugh guh guh" He choked.

"Brian" Max asked cautiously, as if his speaking could hurt him. He looked at the Espeon

"I… died" Brian's eyes turned glassy, as blood seeped from the sides of his mouth.

Max looked at Brian's body. He didn't know the guy, but he had known he was an outcast, like him. He'd have to tell the others..

"What a waste" he muttered, as another tear fell out. Max looked at the bullet wound, and that's when he first noticed.

"Is it, smaller?" The wound was in fact smaller! It seemed to be closing up. Max watched, as the blood sucked back into the wound, and watched it close up all together.

Next, the blood that had been seeping out of Brian's mouth sucked back in. Max pressed his ears to Brian's chest.

"Holy" Brian's heart was beating.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuhhhhh" Brian sucked in a breath, as his eyes bulged open. Max darted back. This was impossible! Brian lifted his head towards Max.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Brian asked confused. Then…

"Auuuuuggggghhhhhh" Brian went rigid, as something like electricity began to

shoot out of his body. But it wasn't electricity, it was pink.

"What's happening?" Max cried. Brian lifted off the ground, as though

demonically possessed.

A bubble formed around Brian, who was a glowing white silhouette. Suddenly, a second white figure appeared.

"Its shaped like Mew?" The Espeon asked. The two figures merged, and the bubble glowed so bright, Max closed his eyes.

He opened them, to see Brian descend and land on both feet. In his right hand, he now clutched two papers. He was completely calm, and seemed to be extremely confident. He turned to Max.

"Did that just happen?"

"Uh, yes" Brian nodded slowly, and then started screaming.

"Aaaahhhhh! Aaaahahhhhh! Aaaaaahhhhhh!" He fell to his butt, and pulled his knees in close, and began to rock back and forth.

"BRIAN!" Max screamed, "What are you freaking out about?"

"I died! I died" Brian yelled back, "Forgive me if I'm a little freaked out, its not every day you live through your own death"

"You've got some papers in your hand, where did they come from?" Brian looked down, noticing the two sheets for the first time. He held up the first one.

"Dear Brian" It began, "As you may have noticed, you are no longer dead" Brian looked at Max, who shrugged. "You can thank me for that. I have decided to loan you my body, because you need to tell the group how to defeat Mr. Rollan. Also, you need to tell them about the four enemy's that are yet to come.

"I have left you with the attacks Psybeam, Psychic, Teleport, and Recover. Also, you will know how to creat bubbles, and to wipe memories (this one will be very important, very soon). You can learn other attacks, but you will need to learn them on your own.

"Do not worry about me, I am with someone far more powerfull then me. I will return for my body one day, but untill then have fun, and remember, aim for the head"

"Aim for the head?" Brian asked.

"Its signed Mew" Max's eyes bulged. "Do you know what this means?"

"The after life has a sense of humor?"

"Mew loaned you its body" Max laughed, "Man, you're a Mew slider!"

"I don't want to be a Mew slider, or any other slider for that matter" Brian cried. "I was kinda okay with being dead"

"What's the second sheet say" Max muttered, pulling it out of Brian's hand. "The living dead, the ancient evil? What the hell is this?"

"That would be the list of enemy's the sliders are going to face"

"Theirs five!"

"I know, it was something Mew and me went over"

"When did you meet Mew? Can I assume when you died?"

"Yeah, I ended up in the after life. Its an extraordinary place, where legendaries serve you muffins, and tell you in excruciating detail about how your friends are going to die"

"Not what I expected"

"Nor I" Brian mumbled, as he stood up slowly, taking a moment to regain his balance. "But that's not important, we've got to get to the others, like now" He folded the note up, and stuck it in his pants pocket.

Brian wanted to say the world looked a lot different since he returned to life, but that would have been a lie. The world of LifeForce still looked cold and sterile. Brian and Max quickly headed down the main hallway, until they came upon a group of guards, all with their backs turned to the two. They all had guns out, pointed at a set of closed blast doors. Max nudged Brian's legs.

"You know, this might be a good time to try it out" Brian nodded, then looked at the Espeon, confused.

"How do I do it?"

"What do you mean how do I do it?" The guards all turned around, noticing the two for the first time. "Just think of Mew, and it'll happen"

"On it"

"Who do you two think you are" One of the guards asked. Brian began to glow, and they all pointed their guns at him, nervously. "Fire men, fire"

Brian quit glowing, right as all of the men fired their guns. Max braced himself, but the bullets never came. Looking up, he saw all of the bullets were suspended in mid-air, a pink aura surrounding them.

"This is fucking awesome" Brian mumbled, getting a look at his Mew body for the first time. His tail swung nervously, the feeling of that limb still new to him. The guards all screamed, but before they could fire again, they were lifted off of the ground, by Brian using psychic.

"If you didn't know how to transform, how can you use attacks?"

"Dunno, this just came naturally" Brian held his arms out at full length, paws extended, suspending the men in mid-air. "I'm just, I feel happy. I think I'll sing a song"

"Brian" Max yelled angrily, "You've already embarrassed these people, do you need to torture them"

"What do you mean?"

"Your singing, its somewhere on par with the sound a blender makes when some one has put thumb-tacks in it"

"What do you know, I've got a great voice, watch" Brian cleared his throat. "Raindrops keep fallin' on my head" He thrust his arms up, and slammed the grunts against the ceiling, "And just like the guy whose feet are to big for his bed" They slammed against the ground, "Nothin' seems to fit" And up again.

Brian continued this for a minute, finally dropping the grunts in a pile on the ground. One of them pulled out a walky-talky.

"This is Grovyl"

"Sir, this is LifeForce operative Simms. The entire force has been knocked out. Dear God sir, it came out of know where, and it looked so harmless" He got no more out, before collapsing. Brian then turned his attention to the blast doors. They began to glow, and made a horrible screeching noise, as they were ripped sideways.

"Does any one here singing?" Someone asked.

"Rain drops keep fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'" Brian sang ecstatically, as he floated over the guards, and Max jumped over them. "Because I'm free" They entered the lab, to the shock of everyone. "Nothings worryin' me" He finished the song.

"Oh my God, it's a Mew" Julius screamed, "Do you know how much money that could get me? Somebody, catch it"

"Your guards appear to be unconscious" Grovyl said, biting his tongue. The sliders returned to human form, mostly out of shock. Axle stepped forward slowly.

"What do you want of us, Mew?"

"You didn't recognize the song?" Brian asked, "Well, I know one of you will recognize this"

"Not again" Max muttered, causing every one to notice him for the first time"

"Heart and soul, I fell in love with you, heart and soul" The sliders looked at each other, nervously, unsure how to tell Mew its voice was an assault on their ears. Rose however, moved forward, away from them, almost in a trance.

"The way a fool would do" Rose piped up. Brian grinned.

"Madly" They sang in unison, as Brian returned to human form, causing Rose to laugh with delight. "Because you held me tight, and stole, a kiss in the night" Rose leapt into his arms, and they kissed.

"Awe, its beautiful" Natasha cooed.

"Its crap" Jonah muttered.

"Has anybody commented on the fact that Mew just turned into Brian, who returned from the dead?" Horatio asked.

"I keep waiting for the hidden cameras to pop out" Cameron responded.

Brian and Rose made out passionately for a minute, before Brian lowered her back to the ground. "But, wait, I don't understand, how can you become Mew?"

"Well, after I got shot"

"You got shot?!" Rose cried, seeing the hole in his shirt, with dried blood on it. She jumped around, angrily. "Why didn't anybody tell us he got shot" Ninetails yelled.

"Well" Jonah began, unknowingly taking a bullet for every one else, "We decided that in the heat of battle, the last thing we would need, was you, distracted by" This is where he got cut off, as Rose/Ninetails punched him across the jaw.

"That's not for you to decide, what to tell us" Ninetails cried, "If someone we care about is hurt, we deserve to know, damn it"

"Uh" Brian grabbed her shoulder, and turned her around, very confused, "Who are you?"

"Brian, you know me, I'm Ninetails" She said. Brian nodded, the fact that his girlfriend was a Ninetales slider, with two minds, was not even striking him as strange.

"Okay, we can play reunion later" Axle said, as they all turned to face Julius and Grovyl, "Lets play clean up now"

"Oh shit" Julius squealed. Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap, clapping suddenly came from behind the two, freezing the sliders in their tracks.

"Out of my way, losers" A calm voice said, as Julius and Grovyl were pushed to their sides. Rollan stepped over them, dressed in a brown leather jacket over a cream colored sweater, stone colored pants with a knife strapped to them, and black gloves and shoes. He looked at the sliders with a sick grin, as he hopped down the steps.

"Who the hell are you?" Before he could answer, Brian spoke up.

"He's Mister Rollan" Brian snarled, "And he's here to kill you Axle"


	28. XXVIII

**AN :** This chapter is dedicated to Lone Wol, for adding Sliders to their favorite stories list, and to Lee Child, the greatest fight scene writer to ever live (Kick ass Reacher)

XXVIII : The Duel

Rollan looked at Brian, shocked for a moment. "Well, somebody's done his homework. Yes, I am the amazing Mr. Rollan, and I'm here to kill you Axle" Rollan looked over his shoulder, back to Julius and Grovyl. "But, I'm feeling generous. I'll kill all of you, and I'll even slash my price. Julius, you can consider it a murder sale, death at bargain prices"

"What ever, just finish them now!"

"Alright" Axle began to shift, as Rollan reached to his back.

"Axle, stop!" Brian screamed. Axle, who had finished morphing, turned to face Brian, Rollan doing the same. Rollan's hand was under his jacket, up the back of his sweater. "He's got a gun taped to the small of his back"

Not letting his surprise show, Rollan whipped out his gun, and fired, but Axle had dropped, and lunged at him, hitting him in the knees. The gun flew out of Rollan's hands, as he folded over, and Axle used the momentum to slam him into the wall. The rest of the team moved into the back corner, knowing Rollan and Axle would need all the room they could get. They also moved all of the grunts they had beaten into a pile in front of them.

Rollan screamed in pain, or extacy, when he slammed against the wall, but was able to squirm out of Axle's grip, and jump over him. The two faced each other, almost staring the other down. Rollan cracked a grin.

He leapt at the gun he had dropped earlier, but Axle was on him, driving a thunder punch into his back. Rollan hit the ground, and flipped over, as Axle prepared to body slam him. Rollan kicked Axle in the face with his left foot, holding him high enough that Axle couldn't reach him. He slammed his right foot into Axle's chest, knocking the breath out of him, and giving Rollan enough time to slide away, and grab the gun.

Rollan stood up, and ran for the gun, but suddenly the ground became coated in ice, and he slipped on his ass. The ice continued to progress, and covered the gun, making it unusable.

"Ice beam is a beautiful attack, don't you think" Rollan scowled, but then he began to laugh!

"Well done Mr. Axle, well done" He pulled him self up, and faced Axle. "I haven't had this much fun since my days back at S.N.O.B."

"Snob?" Axle began to glow.

"The organization that taught me the correct way to kill, a school for murder. S.N.O.B. stood for Sociability, Nobility, Omnipotence, and Breeding. And I had such a fun time, practicing weapons training on live targets, romping around school grounds, reciting our motto, seek, hate kill" He sighed. "So much fun"

"Okay, this guys obviously insane" Stephanie whispered to Max, who now sat on her shoulder.

"Why, because he kills people, or because he used the word 'romping'"

"A little of both"

"Well, I'm glad that you had fun, and they seem to have taught you many fun ways to kill" Axle said, "Did they teach you how to stop this" Axle opened his mouth, and unleashed a hyper beam straight at Rollan.

Rollan grinned, quickly slammed both his feet into the ice shell he stood on, putting his heels lower then the ice, and held out his arms to grab the hyper beam. It hit him, head on, but Rollan didn't budge, and it didn't push him back. The friction from the blast was so great, a cloud of smoke covered Rollan completely.

Axle closed his mouth, and collapsed onto his knees. He had to hold the ground to keep the world from spinning.

"He's gotta be done by now"

"You'd be wrong" The smoke cleared, to reveal Rollan, his gloves burned away but otherwise, completely unharmed.

"You've gotta be kidding me" Axle groaned, as he pulled him self back up. Rollan jumped at Axle in a jump kick, like a kung-fu idiot. His right leg was completely extended, allowing Axle to grab him with ease. Now, its never a good idea for a human to do a jump kick, because you can't change directions, its easy to avoid them, and it puts all of your force in one part of your body. If he hit, it would have been deadly, but Axle caught him. What Axle didn't notice, was Rollan's knife was removed from the strap on his leg, and now in his right hand.

"Hey bitch!" Rollan sliced Axle twice across the front of his muzzle in an X shape. Axle screamed, and grabbed his muzzle, dropping Rollan on the floor. Rollan sprang back up, and lunged, trying to stab Axle in the chest, but Axle managed to jump back just in time.

"You've got a knife, that's not fair" Axle growled through his clenched muzzle, blood seeping between his fingers. Rollan laughed, and slowly ran his tongue across the knife, tasting Axle's blood.

"I'm an assassin, I don't work on fair, I work on kill" With that, he jumped at Axle, attempting to stab him. Axle dipped low, and drove a fire punch into Rollan's stomach. While the punch flipped Rollan over, the fire burned through his jacket, but was then absorbed into the sweeter underneath.

"What the fuck?" Rollan was flipped by the punch, but landed on his feet.

"This sweater was made from the main of an Arcanine with the ability flash fire, one hundred percent fire proof"

"Is it dragon proof?" Rollan lunged again, as Axle opened his mouth, and unleashed dragon breath, the green fire striking the hit man on the chest, knocking him to the ground, and causing him to drop the knife. Axle picked the knife up, and tossed it like a dart into the ceiling, with enough force, the tip pierced the metal, trapping it.

"My knife!" Rollan screamed.

"No more toys. Just you and me"

"Bring it on, bitch" Axle fired an ice beam, trying to freeze the fucker, but Rollan dodged it, and ran at Axle, fist extended. Axle was ready, and slammed his tail into Rollans legs, causing him to trip backwards. He then smashed his fist into Rollans face, but Rollan was able to grab his arm, and pull him down on top of him.

Rollan's hands wrapped around Axle's neck, and he began to choke him. At first, it did nothing, but Axle soon realized _holy fuck, I can't breath_. Rollan grinned a twisted grin. Blood from the X on Axle's muzzle dripped on him. "Can you escape now, bitch? Do you know how much strength it takes to close the throat of a Dragonite?"

Axle's fist crackled with electricity, and he punched Rollan square in the face, shooting electricity through him. All Rollan did was smile. "Please, that doesn't hurt me"

_I've gotta do something_ Axle drew his wings together, until they touched. He then flapped a large blast of air, that flipped him and Rollan 180 degrees, so now Rollan was on top.

"This changes nothing"

_That's what you think, fucker_ Axle's left arm was dead, do to the lack of oxygen, but the claws on his right hand were glowing faintly. Axle had only one chance, as he drove the dragon claw into Rollan's stomach. Rollan screamed, and let go, as Axle's entire body began to glow again.

"I figured out what went wrong the first time" Axle growled.

"Oh crap"

"HYPER BEAM" Rollan was hit by the beam of energy full blast, stronger then the last, and driven up, until he was pinned to the ceiling, Axle lay on his back, directly under Rollan. This time, he couldn't block it, he couldn't even move, as the energy completely covered him, pulsing through his body. All Rollan could do was scream in agony.

"Shit, Rollan!" Julius screamed. Grovyl just shook his head. "Come on Grov, lets get out of her" The two ran out of the lab, back to Julius' office.

Finally, Axle ended the hyper beam, and Rollan's charred body fell to the floor. His sweater was burned away, and blood seeped out of sores covering his body. His nose was broken, causing it to point to the left. His sunglasses were gone, probably destroyed, and his eyes were closed. He didn't move, aside from the occasional twitch.

Axle stood up slowly, and shifted back to human form. He walked over to Rollan, holding himself up as he did, and kicked the hit man twice. Nothing. Axle turned to the others.

"This guy's done" Rollan's eyes shot open, and he grabbed Axle's leg. With one quick movement, he pulled him self up, and with the knife he had pulled out of the ceiling, cut Axle's throat from ear to ear.


	29. XXIX

**AN : **This chapter is dedicated to Zephyr Greyy, for adding Sliders to their favorite story list. Thanx

XXIX : The Explosion

No body moved, as Axle's body began to go cold. Natasha then fell to the ground crying. The shock hit her so bad, she couldn't even move.

"Oh my God, Axle" Stephanie screamed. She, and the rest, except Brian, ran over to Axle's body, trying anything to bring him back.

Brian turned to the panting Rollan. He then began to glow white.

"Oh great, so your one of them too" Rollan laughed. "You're growing smaller, what kind of weak ass pokemon could you be becoming" The glow faded, and Brian hovered above him in Mew form.

"Oh Fuck" It hit Brian in that moment.

None of the others could enter pokemon form. Their forms and attacks were controlled by thought and emotion. When they were to over come, they became locked in human form, unable to shift, or to use attacks.

But Brian was not over come. Mew had shown him the deaths of every one, not only to save them, but because it knew Axle was going to die anyways. It knew that if Brian saw Axle die the first time, the second wouldn't hit him nearly as hard. Mew knew Axle was going to die, and did nothing, Brian wanted to scream this. But now, another thing made sense, the part in the note that said "Aim for the head"

"Psybeam" was his only reply. The beam hit Rollan straight in the head. Now, a psybeam is supposed to only hit pokemon, as they are stronger then humans. So, when a psybeam is used full blast on an already weakened human, the result is simple. His mind is completely destroyed.

"Gauuuuu" Rollan began to drool, as he slumped down on the floor. His mind had been vaporized, and all that was left was a drooling retard, in the body of this evil man. Brian floated above him, above the group, and down the back hall, leading to the office of Julius.

The hall lead to a wooden door, emblazon with a golden L and F. Brian pulled the handle. Locked. Brian nodded, counted to ten, then ripped the door off its hinges.

* * *

"Shit, they're comin' in" Julius cried, as he moved one of the three large portraits at the back of the office out of the way, revealing a wall safe. Grovyl stared coldly, as he walked over to Julius' desk and opened the top drawer.

"Okay, we still have the blue prints for the machine" Julius laughed, as he opened the safe, "We should be alright" He pulled out a large, rolled up paper, out of a safe containing many wads of cash, several from every region.

"Julius"

"Not now" Julius then moved to the giant center portrait, and felt along the side of the frame. Pressing a button, the picture split down the center, to reveal a set of double doors, which opened to reveal a two seat pod. "The pod can get air born, so we should be able to get out of Johto and be in Hoenn by tomorrow"

"Julius" Julius growled.

"What Grovyl!" He cried, flipping to see Grovyl holding a gun on him.

"You should never keep a gun in your top desk drawer Julius" Grovyl said in a cold voice, "People can find it with out effort, and then your fucked"

"What are you doing Grovyl" Julius said, trying desperately not to piss himself. Tears were in the corner of his eyes.

"The envelope"

"I-I dunno"

"THE ENVELOPE YOU STUPID FUCK" Grovyl screamed. Julius nodded slowly, holding up his hands in an I surrender gesture, as he moved back to the safe. Pushing aside a few bundles of money, Julius pulled out a brown parchment envelope with a wax seal on it. He tossed it to Grovyl, who caught it with one hand, still holding the gun.

"Wait, where are you going?" Grovyl, with out saying a word, made his way over to the escape pod, gun still level with Julius. Suddenly, their was a banging on the door.

"I've decided to cut our partnership short" Grovyl laughed, as he climbed into the pod.

"But, you can't leave me!"

"That's where your wrong"

"You bastard!" Julius yelled, "I'll see you in hell"

"Oh my friend, your wrong. This is the first day of the rest of your life" Grovyl tapped on a few buttons inside the pod. "Adios my friend" The metal door slammed shut, as the pod launched, right as the secret door to Julius' office burst open.

"Hello Julius" Julius looked, and squealed.

"Mew, theirs a fuckin' Mew in my office" Julius cried, as he leapt to his desk. The desk however, was lifted off the ground, causing Julius to hit the ground, before Brian flipped the desk over and dropped it on him.

"Mew was right, I do only need a few attacks" Brian muttered, before lifting the desk up and bringing it down again. He then flung it out of the way.

Julius cried again, and leapt at the third portrait. All three pictures were more then they seemed, and the third one held a big surprise, as Julius felt along behind it, finding a number pad. He pressed several numbers quickly, as Brian raised his glowing paws again.

"STOP" Julius screamed. "One more move, and I'll"

"You'll what" Brian asked, as he ripped the portrait off the wall. Julius' finger was poised under a green button, which was under a number pad, which was under a small screen that read Activate.

"One more move, and I'll activate the timers. After that, in one minute, primary charges will blow base charges" Julius giggled, "And I blast you and the rest of you fuckers to hell. Go ahead, maybe you'll get lucky" Brian saw the desk chair, still sitting there.

"Alright, alright" Brian returned to the ground, figuring that Julius might see the chair. Julius smiled.

"You see, you can't pull one over on ol' Julius" With that, he pressed the button, and the small screen began to flash.

"You stupid fuck" Brian screamed, lunging at Julius, "What are you thinking?"  
"I'm not goin' to jail" He laughed, "I'd rather die, and knowing I took all of you with me, well that's just an added bonus" Brian growled, and lifted Julius up. "What the fuck do you think your doin'?!"

"I'm not dying, and neither are you"

* * *

"Oh God, Axle" Natasha cried, as tears rolled down her face. Axle's head was on her lap, blood still seeping from his throat, "You'll be alright"

"Yeah man" Dimitrius said, sorrow in his voice, "We'll get you out of here, and"

"No guys, you wont" Axle choked, "I'm not stupid, my throat's been cut" Rollan hadn't cut his trachea, so Axle was still able to talk, but barley. The blood coming from his throat would kill him in a minute.

"You don't know that" Natasha said stubbornly.

"No, I do" Axle said, "Natasha, you're going to lead the sliders now"

"Axle your"

"Not going to make it. Natasha, your going to lead the sliders, you've been with me when we founded them, alright"

"I promise" She cried.

"Guys" Every one looked up, to see Brian rocketing towards them dragging Julius.

"Ah, you brought fuck head" Ninetails said, "We've got plans for him"

"Yeah, well we can discuss them later" Brian cried, "This place is going to explode, in about 45 seconds, so we need to get out of here"

"Wait, what?" Cameron asked, trying to process the information.

"Look, no time to talk" Brian said, floating to the center of the room, "Every one near me" The others, except Natasha, all crowded around Brian, as he pulled up a pink bubble. "This will protect us from the explosion" He then put another bubble around the pile of grunts, which had a drooling Mr. Rollan on top.

"Natasha, lets move it" Jonah yelled. Natasha shook her head.

"I'm not leaving guys" Natasha cried.

"Don't be fucking stupid" Stephanie yelled, "If you stay, you die" Natasha let out a scream, and jumped up, facing them angrily.

"Look, if I want to stay, you can't stop-

Axle, using most of his energy, reached up and pushed Natasha forward, into the bubble. The others grabbed her, as Brian used teleport making them vanish. The grunt bubble vanished also.

"So this is how it ends" Axle muttered. Beneath him, he could hear the sounds of a faint explosion, as the ground began to shake violently. The primary charges had exploded. Axle wondered, would his soul be sent to the sixth sphere, that of Jupiter for the just, or would it be propelled to the realm of the first moved? None of it mattered now. nothing he did mattered. At least he had lived his life to the fullest.

"Fuckin A"

The base exploded.


	30. XXX

XXX : The End of the War

The base exploded, with enough force to send all of the parts of it flying out of the water, and in various directions. The group watched from the sky, suspended in mid-air by Brian's new power.

The fire ball caused most of the water to evaporate, coating the ground with a thick steam.

"We have to go down there" Natasha began again, "We have to see if Axle is alive" Brian shook his head.

"Even if he survived having his throat cut, the explosion would have killed him. Besides, that mist is highly acidic. If we do any thing to move it, it could spread somewhere else. We have to wait"

It was at this opportune moment, that Julius decided to wake up.

"Huh? What the, I'm floating" He looked down, and screamed.

"MY BASE" Julius screamed, "My team, my machines, my money!!"

"All gone" Dimitrius said. He picked up Julius, and extended him outside of the bubble, "You want to join them"

"Dimitrius" Horatio yelled, "Don't even joke"

"Why not" Dimitrius said, shrugging, "It would be fitting"

"I say we do it" Stephanie muttered, "Ole dick head kept me in a tube for a week, he deserves it"

"No" Rose said, "it would be murder"

"And its what he deserves"

"Then that makes us him" Horatio said, "Death isn't a punishment, its an escape. He should be punished, but we also need to not stoop to his level"

"But, look at all this man has done"

"We are not stronger by killing" Ninetails said suddenly, "We are stronger by forgiveness. In my clan, I always said in the heat of battle, death can be forgiven, but outright murder can not, and I have already killed once. All the evil Julius has done, killing him is murder, and all people still deserves forgiveness. He will be punished, but death will not be his punishment"

"Dimitrius, we will hold on to him, until the mist clears" Brian said, "Then, Ninetails and I will discuss his punishment"

"Why you two?"

"He yanked on my tail" Ninetails said. Julius gulped. "You thought I wouldn't remember? Well, the first day I got dragged into this hell hole, you called me a little bitch. You called me a bitch later, and I knew it was you. You yanked my tail, and you will be punished. That punishment is rather clear"

* * *

The mist cleared after a day, most of the lake re-filling. Although the water was still highly acidic, with the base gone, it would eventually return to normal.

The day after the mist cleared, the search for Axle's body began. After three days, they had nothing to bury.

After searching, Brian went to where he had stored the paralyzed body of Julius. He forced Julius to make a global confession, over the internet, of him and Grovyl's plans. Two days later, the fighting stopped, with neither side able to re-kindle the hatred that started it.

* * *

Grovyl looked at the world from the escape ship. It was little more then a pod, designed to fly who ever used it, any where in the world. Right now, Grovyl was headed to Violet City.

"That fool Julius may have screwed up, but I still won in the end" Grovyl looked at the small envelope he had snatched from Julius' safe.

The envelope itself was made of a brown parchment. The wax seal had an Unown figure on it.

**?**

Grovyl broke the seal, and pulled out the letter inside.

_From the desk of Dr. William Gordon_

_At long last, I have finished my cipher, one which I believe can be used, to translate the secret room in the Ruins of Alph into our language. The symbols are of Unown, but none of the ones that match up with any modern language. I have already translated one section._

_Using my cipher, they speak of the location of a powerful pokemon, possibly stronger then Mew. I have only begun my translation, so all other information is forth coming, but I am hopeful._

Dr. Gordon had been executed by the human army the next week. Fearing his impending death, the good doctor had sealed up his cipher and one journal entry, and was trying to send it to relatives when he was killed. Julius had found the letter, and held onto it, believing he could use it one day.

"And he was right, this fucker held my loyalty for 12 years" Grovyl laughed. "But, that blithering idiot is gone, and none of it matters"

Grovyl removed the second page of the letter, the cipher. Holding it up, and reading it, he shook with glee.

"Hello Arceus, I've got you"

* * *

Immediately after the confession, Brian and Ninetails took Julius away, in front of the entrance to the Sacred Valley

"Okay, up" Brian said to the sniveling man in front of him and Rose/Ninetails. Julius chose to instead, grab onto Brian's pant legs.

"Please, don't kill me, I'm begging you" Ninetails kicked him in the face, knocking him on his ass.

"Don't worry, we're not going to kill you" Ninetails said, shifting into Ninetales form.

"The first rule is a slider must never kill" Brian said.

"But your never going to harm another living creature" Julius suddenly found himself floating a foot off the ground, encased in a large pink bubble.

"We decided something much more fitting" Ninetails positioned her face in front of Julius. Her red eyes shinned with rage.

"I wanted to throw your ass in front of the world court" Brian said, "Since cursed humans generally go on to except their pokemon form, and we don't want you to except it" He shifted into Mew form. "Instead, Ninetails and I came up with something much more fun"

"I wanted to make you into a Magikarp, but, as Brian rightly pointed out, they can become something strong, and we can't have that" Her eye's began to glow red, and Julius' body began to mimic that. "Instead, we went with irony" The bubble filled up with red energy, blinding Brian and Ninetails. When it stopped, a Seviper floated where Julius once had.

"What do you know, the snake in the grass really is a snake in the grass" Brian quipped, moving in front of Ninetails. He placed his paws on the bubble, "And this is my contribution. You see, I'm pouring my energy into this bubble. When we leave, it will pop. This will cause all of your human memories to vanish. But, it won't make you a complete pokemon, that might give you the chance to be happy" Brian floated backwards, and the two stared as Julius rammed the bubble, crying.

"Instead, you will forget that you were ever human, but you will know you're not a pokemon either. Also, you will not know any attacks, nor will you be able to, meaning you will loose every battle you ever have, should you have one. This will leave you an outcast, and rob any chance you may have of being happy" Brian grinned, "Who knows, they might except you here. I doubt they will, but you never know" Brian placed his arm on Ninetails shoulder. "You see, this way, we don't need to send you to prison Julius, you're already there. Now, watch carefully as we leave. It'll be the last time you see the only two beings on earth that can turn you back"

Julius wept, as they vanished. The bubble popped, and Seviper forgot why it was crying, as it hit the ground.

* * *

The group of nine stood on top of the cliff over looking the Lake of Rage. Brian and Rose/Ninetails were leaning into each other. They had said a short eulogy for Axle, but now they were discussing Brian's encounter with Mew.

"So Mew told me their were five enemies. Mr. Rollan was the first, and then we have the ancient evil, the lving dead, the puritan, and"

"And then we have apollyon" Cameron said somberly. The nine looked out, into the sunset, nothing more to say.

"We have to go unfortunately" Natasha said, "The enemies aren't here yet, but their is still plenty to do. With the war over, the reconstruction has begun" Brian nodded.

"We'll be waiting, untill we see you again" Rose said.

"You're welcome to come if" Natasha began, but Brian cut her off.

"No, we just want to go some where and"

"Rest" Rose chimed in. Natasha nodded. She shifted into Alakazam, and everyone gathered around her.

"Adios, my friends" Nothing more needed to be said.

"Adios" She began to glow, and they were gone. Brian and Rose noticed Max was still with them.

"Max" Rose asked.

"I don't really want to go back to the Sacred Valley, and I don't want to fight for a while. I just want to rest"

"You know you're free to come with us" Brian said. Max nodded, and smiled as best an Espeon could. He walked over to them, and the four faced the sunset.

"You know, we don't even know where we're going" Brian said. In his back pocket, was a list with five names, the top one crossed off.

"I know, and that makes me happy" Not another word was spoke, until the sun dropped away.

**End of Book I**

**The Sliders will return**

**Book II : Hybrids**

**June 1****st**


End file.
